Small single-engine aircraft Grumman American AA-1B crashed in a tree near the Portland Municipal Airport (1M5) in Portland, USA. One occupant died in the crash, while another was seriously injured and later died from the wounds at the hospital. The small plane went down just after 7:30 p.m. local time on the 600 m from the airport’s runway. The root cause of the accident is unknown, but according to preliminary information during the approach for landing, the plane hit a tree.
The exact circumstances will be investigated by the local authorities during the trials.
Authorities said both occupants, identified as Harold Mckissack of Hendersonville and Raferal Johnson of Nashville, were thrown from the plane upon impact. One of the passengers was found dead, while another was airlifted to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and died at the hospital. Police gave no additional information about the identity of the passengers or the cause of the crash.
Both the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the aviation accident.
Grumman American AA-1 series is a family of light, two-seat aircraft. The family includes the original American Aviation AA-1 Yankee Clipper and AA-1A Trainer, the Grumman American AA-1B Trainer and TR-2 and the Gulfstream American AA-1C Lynx and T-Cat.
