Flight instructor and teen student survive harrowing Paulding County plane crash
Paulding County plane crash yields two critical
A flight instructor and student pilot were critically injured after their single-engine plane crashed near Town Road.
PAUDLING COUNTY, Ga. - A flight instructor and his student are recovering in stable condition after surviving a Thursday evening plane crash in Paulding County, according to authorities.
Paulding County emergency response
What we know:
A single-engine aircraft carrying a 22-year-old instructor and a 17-year-old student pilot crashed Thursday evening just east of the Paulding Northwest Atlanta Airport.
Despite critical injuries, the victims called 911 from inside the downed plane off Hulseytown Road, allowing emergency crews to pinpoint their location deep in the woods.
Firefighters quickly extricated the men from the wreckage and carried them to waiting ambulances.
The plane belongs to Dependable Aviation, a flight training school based at the local airport. A co-owner confirmed the pair was practicing routine takeoffs and landings, an exercise they had completed before. Local residents reported receiving urgent messages as emergency responders rushed to the scene near their homes.
Federal crash investigation
What we don't know:
Officials have not yet determined what caused the single-engine aircraft to go down. Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration have launched an inquiry, but authorities noted that establishing the cause will take time.
What they're saying:
"Our Paulding County Fire team was here really, really quickly. Got these two individuals out of the plane," Paulding County Sheriff Ashley Henson said. Nearby resident Trisha Barnett described the event as "just super scary at the moment," adding, "I pray that they're okay, and they'll come through everything."
What's next:
The flight school leadership declined to speculate on potential causes, choosing instead to focus on supporting the victims and their families. Federal investigators will continue examining the crash site and aircraft remnants near Hulseytown Road.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered by FOX 5 Atlanta reporter Denise Dillon, who conducted live reporting from the scene in Paulding County, as well as statements from Paulding County Sheriff Ashley Henson, local resident Trisha Barnett, and the co-owner of Dependable Aviation.