DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — One man is dead and one is injured after a small plane crashed in Gwinnett County on Tuesday.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
Gwinnett County firefighters responded to the 1000 block of Old Athens Road around 5:30 p.m. after receiving a report from the county’s air traffic control tower that a single-engine plane was experiencing engine trouble and was in the trees.
Investigators say the small plane had taken off from Briscoe Field about 90 minutes earlier. But as it tried to return, the pilot reported engine trouble.
Firefighters arrived at 5:39 p.m. and found the aircraft crashed in a wooded area. Both occupants were trapped inside.
Crews worked to free the two men, finding one dead and the other with non-life-threatening injuries. The surviving occupant was taken to a local hospital.
The second person on the plane, found on the left side of the aircraft, was found dead. It’s unknown if the deceased man was the pilot.
“I heard it like boom. it was like a distant boom,” said neighbor Natoria Hopgood. “It smelled like something was burning badly. It was hurting my nose a lot.”
Firefighters found no active fire at the scene.
The Gwinnett County Medical Examiner’s Office responded after the scene was cleared by the FAA. The office will determine the cause of death.
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) were notified and are investigating what caused the crash. The NTSB will handle further questions about the investigation.
Gwinnett County police will secure the wreckage while the investigation continues. Rock House Road SE and Old Athens Road SE will be closed.
The National Transportation Safety Board described the aircraft as a Velocity-173 FG airplane.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the NTSB are taking over the investigation.
Editor’s note: An earlier version of the story incorrectly identified the training center.
We’ll have the latest o Channel 2 Action News This Morning starting at 4:30 a.m.
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
©2026 Cox Media Group
