Another Tragic Plane Crash: Five Victims, Including a 3-Year-Old Boy, Dead After Jet Falls Short of Runway and Plows Through Trees in Virginia

A devastating crash at Ingalls Field Airport in rural Virginia resulted in the deaths of five individuals on Sunday afternoon, according to state authorities.

Among the deceased are two pilots and a family of three, including a three-year-old boy.

The incident happened around 3 p.m., with officials reporting that the plane crashed just short of the runway. It struck trees before impacting the hillside below the runway threshold.

Virginia State Police (VSP) have confirmed there were no survivors.

“The plane was short on its approach to the runway, struck the trees and then the hillside,” Virginia State Police said.

“The occupants of the aircraft were the Pilot (male), First Officer (Co-pilot), (male) and three passengers, (one male, one female and a male juvenile). There were no survivors in the crash,” VSP added.

Local 10, the ABC affiliate in Florida, revealed two of the adult victims as Alfredo Diez and his wife Kseniia Shanina. Diez was recognized as the CEO of Atlantis Flight Academy.

The couple, along with one of the pilots, were reported not to be American citizens, with backgrounds from Russia, India, and Spain, though it was not specified who was from which country.

WSET reported:

The Bath County 911 Center said local first responders were immediately dispatched after the initial report of the crash, including the Bath County Sheriff’s Office, Virginia State Police and the Hot Springs Fire and Rescue.

VSP is investigating the crash alongside the FAA and NTSB. The remnants of the plane are going to be taken to Atlanta for further investigation, officials announced Monday afternoon.

The FAA said they identified the plane as a twin-engine IAI Astra 1125 and said the NTSB would be providing further updates.

The names of the victims in the crash have not been released, but police said the plane owner’s attorney and family friend said the occupants were attending an event at the Homestead Resort in Hot Springs.