Two injured as small plane crashes near Johnston Regional Airport
Two people were injured when a small plane crashed near Smithfield on Friday afternoon, according to the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office.
The plane belonged to Blue Line Aviation, a flight school based at the airport. The two people on board, an instructor and student, were “alert and conscious” when EMS took them to the hospital, the sheriff’s office said.
In an update Saturday, Blue Line identified the two as “a commercially rated instrument instructor and instrument rated private pilot,” and said one had been released from the hospital while the other remained under medical care in stable condition.
It’s not clear yet what caused the crash, said Ashley Tucker, spokeswoman for Blue Line Aviation.
“We do not know the extent of any injuries at this time,” Tucker wrote in a statement. “We ask for your prayers and that you respect the privacy of those involved during this difficult time.”
The plane went down about 4:20 p.m. near Jethro Circle, a short, dead-end street near Johnston Regional Airport. The street is surrounded by farm fields, and the sheriff’s office said the plane crashed “well off the roadway.”
The sheriff’s office did not say whether the plane was approaching the airport or had just taken off.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board were notified. The NTSB will lead the investigation to try to determine what led to the crash.
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This story was originally published March 25, 2022 at 5:44 PM with the headline "Two injured as small plane crashes near Johnston Regional Airport."
