Pilot Identified in Gaithersburg Small Plane Crash

GAITHERSBURG, MD — A Gaithersburg man has been identified as the pilot and only occupant of a small Cessna-style aircraft killed when in a Tuesday crash. William Hughes 78, of Gaithersburg was the person killed in plane crash.

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Spokesman Pete Piringer said the crash happened about 5 p.m. in a field near the 23900 block of Laytonsville Road near Hawkins Creamery Road and about three miles from Davis Airfield.

The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration have begun invesigating the accident.

“A preliminary investigation suggests a loss of engine power could be the cause of a loss of engine power prior to the airplane departing flight,” NTSB Senior Air Safety Investigator Brian Rayner told Montgomery Community Media.

Witnesses said the plane's engine sounded normal as it took off and climbed to between 500 and 1,000 feet. The airplane was operated by a flying club near Montgomery County Airpark and was at Davis Airfield for routine maintenance work, the county newsite reports.

Investigators will look into Hughes' medical history and health at the time of the crash, gather more information regarding the airplane’s maintenance and determine other outside factors such as the weather and environment.

»Image via Pete Piringer, @mcfrsPIO