A small plane crash in Harnett County, North Carolina, claimed the lives of two individuals on Thursday (June 19). The crash occurred around 9:35 a.m. when an Aviat Pitts S-2B aircraft went down near Broadway, approximately an hour south of Raleigh. The plane crashed into a section of a boat dealership in a rural area off Holly Springs Church Road.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the two people aboard the plane were killed in the crash. The State Highway Patrol confirmed the fatalities. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the FAA will conduct a thorough investigation to determine the cause of the accident.
Preliminary reports suggest that the crash might have been influenced by an attempt to avoid an obstacle on the runway. Although details specific to the Harnett County crash have not been released, a similar incident earlier this month involved a pilot attempting to avoid a turtle on the runway, which led to a deadly crash in Mocksville, North Carolina.
The investigation by the NTSB and FAA will focus on uncovering any mechanical issues, pilot errors, or other factors that may have contributed to the crash. Further updates will be provided as the investigation progresses.