KILL DEVIL HILLS, N.C. — New video tonight shows the moments before and after a plane crash killed five people in the Outer Banks.
It happened Saturday afternoon at the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills.
A National Transportation Safety Board investigator says the plane was attempting to make a second landing at the First Flight Airfield when it crashed. One woman witnessed the whole thing while driving to the store.
“Right about the entrance to the Wright Brothers Memorial, I spotted a plane that was really small, that was coming down real quick,” said Nadia Popruzhenko.
Today, we got a look at what remains of the scene. Burnt metal, broken branches and pieces of the plane still in the trees.
“The airplane made an initial approach and subsequent takeoff where it remained in the pattern and made a second approach and landing attempt,” said Ryan Enders, an aviation and accident investigator for the NTSB.
Enders says the single-engine plane had last left the nearby Dare County Regional Airport.
He doesn’t know what led up to the first landing attempt or why it failed, but he says that second attempt is when it crashed.
"During the second attempt, the aircraft made a left turn and impacted trees adjacent to the left side of the runway. The impact result in a post-crash fire, and the five occupants sustained fatal injuries."
Popruzhenko says she’s still in shock and saddened at the whole situation.
“It is extremely devastating. We are a very close community and as a matter of fact, we all love the scenery from a plane like that, you know, just to explore the Outer Banks. I feel really sorry for the loss of these lives, all those souls that were victims of it.
The medical examiner is working to positively identify the five victims on board.
The NTSB says a preliminary report will be available in 10 days and the full report will take up a year.
The Wright Brothers Memorial Park and Airstrip will re-open Tuesday morning.