Plane Crash In Decatur
DECATUR, Ill. (STMW) - The crash of a small home-built aircraft has killed one man about a mile and a half east of the Decatur airport.
The crash occurred on take-off from Runway 18.
FAA spokesman Tony Molinaro said the plane is called a "Freebird Lite Sport". It was built earlier this year.
The Freebird website website indicates this is a very small plane, weighing only 450 lbs empty. It has 65 horsepower with a 90 mile an hour top speed and a 26 foot wingspan.
Through the tail number, the FAA has identified the person who built it and is now trying to determine if that's the person who was killed in the crash.
Since there was a fatality, the National Transportation Safety Board will be the lead agency doing the investigation.
More on this story as the information becomes available.
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