Update: Pilot was Greg Byrd, 53, of Asheville, NC, his two adult sons — Phillip Byrd of Asheville and Christopher Byrd of Atlanta — as well as Christopher Byrd’s fiancée, Jackie Kulzer of Atlanta. They were headed to Oxford, Mississippi to attend the Pilot’s youngest son, Robert’s graduation.
Update: 3:45 PM East Bound Lanes of 285 Now Open
Update: 1 PM West Bound Lanes of 285 Open. East bound still closed.
Update: At about 12:20 DeKalb Fire Chief says I-285 could reopen soon. Within next hour and a half.
UPDATE: Emergency officials have told WSB-TV that four people have been killed in the plane crash.
ORIGINAL STORY: One person has been killed after a small plane crashed on Interstate 285 in Dunwoody on Friday morning.
According to WSB-TV, the aircraft had just taken off from Peachtree-DeKalb Airport when it came down on I-285 eastbound near the Peachtree Industrial Boulevard exit. The pilot had an issue on takeoff and said “we’re going down” over the radio just before the crash, the station says.
The interstate has been shut down in both directions and may be closed for up to eight hours, WSB-TV reports.
The FAA tells WSB-TV that the crashed aircraft was a Piper PA-32 that took off from runway 3 right.
A tweet sent out by the Dunwoody Police Department reports that the crash happened at approximately 10:10 a.m.
