Small plane crashes near Mississippi school just after takeoff

Published 6:03 am Sunday, June 25, 2023

A small plane crashed just after takeoff Friday in Mississippi, landing on a practice field at Ocean Springs Middle School, police said.
The pilot, the lone person on the plane, was not injured, Capt. Ryan LeMaire told The Sun Herald.

Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration were headed to the scene to determine what caused the Piper airplane to crash, he said.

The pilot, whose name has not been released, took off from Ocean Springs Airport for Asheville, North Carolina, early Friday. Police were notified about the crash at about 7:40 a.m., authorities said.

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The fence at the practice field, which is used by football and soccer teams, was slightly damaged, LeMaire said.
E3 Environmental is at the scene cleaning up and siphoning fuel from the aircraft.