2 Birmingham Residents Killed In Small Plane Crash
BOYNE CITY, Mich. (WWJ/AP) - The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a small plane crash in a wooded area of Michigan's northern Lower Peninsula that killed two people.
FAA spokesman Tony Molinaro says the single-engine Mooney M20 crashed shortly after taking off Monday morning from Boyne City Airport in Charlevoix County, about 45 miles northeast of Traverse City.
Authorities in Charlevoix County reported there were two victims, including the pilot. The deceased are Todd Glen Lloyd, 51 and Christopher Neumann, 38, from Birmingham.
WPBN/WTOM-TV and the Petoskey News-Review report the crash happened about 7 a.m., several hundred yards from a road. The area is reachable on foot or snowmobile.
The plane's flight plan showed it was headed to Oakland-Troy Airport north of Detroit.
Charlevoix County Sheriff Don Schneider told WWJ weather conditions were tricky at the time.
"It was snowing and windy and very cold; about eight degrees above zero," Schneider said.
Emergency 911 calls reported smoke from the plane before it crashed.
Undersheriff Chuck Vondra said the plane — which WWJ has learned that the plane was registered to a company in Madison Heights — was broken into many pieces.
The FAA is expected to investigate.
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