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Small plane’s parachute saves two lives in WV crash

Journal photo by Mary Stortstrom Two occupants of a small aircraft were uninjured in a crash Wednesday morning in Jefferson County.
Journal photo by Mary Stortstrom
Two occupants of a small aircraft were uninjured in a crash Wednesday morning in Jefferson County.

CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. — The two occupants of a small aircraft were uninjured when their plane crashed near Wheatland Road in Jefferson County on Wednesday morning.

According to Ed Hannon, deputy director of the Jefferson County Emergency Services Agency, the emergency call of a small aircraft downed near the Norfolk Southern railroad crossing on Wheatland Road came in at 9:39 a.m.

Units from Independent Fire Company, Citizens Fire Company, Blue Ridge Mountain Volunteer Fire Department, Middleway Fire Department, the Jefferson County Emergency Services Agency, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department and the West Virginia State Police responded to the incident.

State troopers and deputies with the sheriff’s department blocked traffic at both entrances to Wheatland Rd. while fire and rescue crews secured the scene.

Hannon said a fuel leak of approximately 40 gallons was mitigated by a HAZMAT team from Mount Weather, Virginia, and the leak was contained.

Two people were in the aircraft when it crashed, but Hannon said they were not severely injured.

“Once we were on the scene, we found the aircraft had crashed just beside the railroad tracks. The two occupants of the plane had minor injuries, a laceration to the finger. Both of them were able to get out of the plane and away from the plane,” he said. “No one was transported to the hospital.”

Hannon said the occupants of the aircraft, a small private Cirrus SR20, told him they left from Leesburg, Virginia, and were planning to touch down in Winchester, Virginia, before returning to Leesburg.

The plane went into a tailspin, Hannon said, and the aircraft’s parachute deployed, slowing the plane’s descent. Forrest Mullikin, of Leesburg, whose father-in-law was aboard the aircraft, said the Cirrus SR20 is the only aircraft of its type with a deployable parachute.

“To date, 65 people have had their lives saved by the Cirrus’ parachute,” he said. “These two gentlemen today were number 66 and 67.”

The Federal Aviation Administration was called in from Baltimore to investigate the crash. Hannon said the FAA officials, along with Norfolk Southern staff, would remove the wreckage once they arrived at the scene.

As of presstime, FAA officials did not return calls for comment regarding the investigation of the crash.

– Staff writer Mary Stortstrom can be reached at 304-725-6581 or www.twitter.com/mstortstromJN.

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