NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Two 18-year-old aviation students from Hampton University are still hospitalized with serious injuries after aCessna 172 crashed Thursday afternoon near the Newport News-Williamsburg International Airport.
Virginia State Police believe the small plane veered off course close to the ground when it crashed killing one of three people on board.
Pictures from State Police showed the aftermath of what was left of the mangled plane.
A total of three people were on board.
Police said the flight instructor and licensed commercial pilot, Viktoria Ljungman of Williamsburg, died in the crash. She was just 23 years old.
Kathy Owens is a retired commercial and military pilot with more than 40 years of flying experience. She said it’s common for flight instructors to be that young.
“The whole industry is trying to grab our young folks and try to get them interested in flying at an earlier age, so they do have that experience when they go out into the commercial aviation world,” Owens said.
Investigators say 18-year-old Oluwagbohunmi Ayomide Oyebode, of Maryland, was piloting the single-engine plane when it went down.
State Police, who’s leading the investigation, said during takeoff, the student tried to pull the Cessna up at too steep of an angle, causing the plane to stall mid-air. It then dove and crashed into a ditch.
Owens said the entire flight community is hurting.
“Having someone on the verge of their burgeoning aviation career, to have it end like that, it’s just a shame,” she said.
News 3's Leondra Head spoke to the Senior Vice President of Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association who's also a pilot and instructor.
Michael McSpadden, a pilot and instructor says takeoff is one the most crucial times of a flight.
"The areas where pilots really have to pay attention at is during the most precarious times which is during takeoff and landing because you’re so close to the ground," McSpadden said.
Mcfadden says a plane stalling is one of the most common causes for accidents.
"If you raise your nose too high for example, you can increase the angle of the wing and it just doesn’t have enough wind coming on top to generate lift, that’s an aero dynamic stall. Those are common in the accident arena," McSpadden said.
The small aircraft is commonly used.
"A Cessna 172 is the most popular training airplane in general aviation. Reliable and extremely good safe record. There relatively simply airplanes and relatively easy to fly," McFadden said.
The crash is still under investigation.
Police have not yet released the name of the third passenger in the plane.
There is no update yet on his condition or the other 18-year-old survivor.
