‘I could see the smoke billowing’; OBX community reacts to deadly plane crash

KILL DEVIL HILLS, N.C. (WAVY) — The Outer Banks community is reacting after five people, including a child, died after a single-engine “Cirrus SR22” crashed in the Outer Banks Saturday.

According to Flight Radar 24, the plane left the Dare County Regional Airport around 5 p.m. Sept. 28, and crashed just minutes after takeoff.

Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board have been working since then to piece together what led to the plane crashing into a wooded area at the Wright Brothers National Memorial’s First Flight Airport.

Brant Honeycutt works near where the plane crashed and described what he saw that evening.

“I looked in my rearview mirror, just out of habit, after I made the turn, and I could see the smoke billowing. It gave me pause and I knew something fairly catastrophic had probably occurred,” Honeycutt said.

A spokesperson with the National Park Service said they are working on releasing the victims’ names once they have the information confirmed by the medical examiner.

10 On Your Side confirmed with a NTSB spokesperson that the tail number of the plane is N1281F. According to the FAA’s website , the plane is registered to “Pantheon Aviation LLC” in Franklin, North Carolina.

Honeycutt explained how the Kill Devil Hills community is now just trying to come to terms with what happened.

“Being in North Carolina, we know that the Western part of our states is in a state of devastation as well, not just North Carolina,” Honeycutt said. “So, it’s kind of a lot to grasp right now, as far as what’s going on.”

Officials are expecting to reopen the park and First Flight Airstrip Tuesday.

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