Owl Head, Maine – Three people were killed when a small plane hit a truck on the runway during takeoff at a coastal Maine airport. The Cessna 172 was heading north on the runway at Knox County Regional Airport when a pickup truck crossed the runway and struck the plane. The plane tried to climb, but spiraled down and hit the ground, bursting into flames. The first people on the scene tried to pull one of the occupants out of the plane but they were unsuccessful. The state medical examiner will identify the victims. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the collision. The truck was authorized to be on the airport grounds and was driven by a pilot. All of the trucks at the airport have radios that pick up the traffic from planes. It is unknown whether the pilot of the Cessna radioed that he was ready for takeoff. The plane that crashed was privately owned. Weather was not a factor at the time of the accident. If you have a loved one who has died in an airplane accident, contact a Bangor wrongful death attorney to review your case. For more information on accidents in the news, visit this updated accident blog.
