Pilot in Fatal Plane Wreck Identified as Woodbridge Man

The pilot in a fatal plane crash on Sunday in Fauquier County has been identified as a Woodbridge man, according to Virginia State Police.

Benjamin J. Hummel, 33, died at the scene. He was the plane’s only occupant. No one on the ground was injured in the crash.

Hummel’s single-engine, fixed wing Titan Tornado II crashed at 12:30 p.m. Sunday near the 10000 block of Shenandoah Path in the Catlett community, according to VSP spokesperson Corinne Geller.

“Thanks to local residents providing witness accounts and four-wheel drive vehicles, emergency responders were able to successfully locate and access the remote crash site,” she said.

State police, Fauquier County Sheriff’s Office and the Catlett’s Volunteer Fire and Rescue Squad responded to the scene.

According to witness accounts, it appeared as if the plane was experiencing engine trouble just before it crashed, according to Geller.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation by state police, the FAA and NTSB.