NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — State Police said one person is dead after a plane crashed Thursday at the Newport News/ Williamsburg International Airport (PHF) in Newport News.
At approximately 3:02 p.m., a Cessna 172 crashed during take-off in a wooded area on the north side of the airport, according to Michael Giardino, executive director of the Peninsula Airport Commission. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has been notified.
An investigation with State Police along with the assistance of the FAA revealed that "during take off a student pilot attempted to pull the craft up at too steep of an angle, causing the plane to stall in the air, in which the aircraft dove into, and crashed into the embankment/ditch."
Officials say the plane reached an altitude of about 100 feet before veering off course and crashing.
State Police said the person who died was one of three people on the plane when it crashed, 23-year-old Viktoria Theresie Izabelle Ljungman, of Williamsburg, Virginia. Investigations show she was the flight instructor and a licensed commercial pilot.
Ljungman was anemployee for Rick Aviation, a company partnered with Hampton University's aviation degree program.
Two 18-year-olds from Maryland, one from Hanover and the other from Bowie, were also on board at the time, according to State Police. Both were in an Aviation class at Hampton University.
One of the 18-year-olds, Oluwagbohunmi Ayomide Oyebode, was the pilot and the other was a passenger.
Oyebode suffered serious injuries from the crash and was transported Riverside Regional Hospital and then was later flown to Virginia Commonwealth University Hospital in Richmond.
Hampton University released the following statement:
Hampton University is aware of the unfortunate accident that occurred today involving two of our students. The exact cause of the accident is under investigation. Out of respect for the students and their families we have no further comment at this time.
The school's campus ministry is hosting a prayer service in light of recent events, according to Hampton University's Student Government Association Instagram Page.
The three involved in the accident were not related.
Crews also contained a fuel leak at the scene.
This is a developing story.
