Three individuals, including the owner of a flight school and a student pilot, tragically lost their lives in a small plane crash in a remote area of Massachusetts over the weekend, according to state police.
The victims have been identified as Fredrika Ballard, 53, the owner of Fly Lugu Flight School, William Hampton, 68, a flight instructor, and Chad Davidson, 29, a student pilot.
The incident occurred on Sunday when the twin-engine Beechcraft Baron 55, which had taken off from Barnes Airport in Westfield at approximately 11:06 a.m., crashed near Leyden, Massachusetts. The crash site, located in the Leyden Wildlife Management Area near Greenfield, was discovered after several dog walkers reported seeing a plane crash.
Upon arrival at the scene, Greenfield Firefighters and American Medical Response paramedics found all three individuals deceased inside the aircraft. The cause of the crash is currently under investigation by state police, with the Federal Aviation Administration Aviation inspectors and a National Transportation Safety Board investigator also involved in the inquiry.
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