ATLANTA — A small plane has crashed on a typically busy highway in Atlanta that circles the city.
Four people have been killed, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
The plane was registered to a private business in Asheville, N.C., according to the Journal-Constitution.
The Piper PA-32 landed on Interstate 285 eastbound. The plane crashed into a concrete median on one side of the highway. The interstate is completely shut down in both directions at Peachtree Industrial Boulevard.
The highway could be closed for hours — the traffic impact is tremendous. The medical examiner has been called to the scene.
According to WSB, the fire was extinguished, but there was very little wreckage left. The plane left from runway No. 311 at Peachtree DeKalb Airport and had problems climbing out.
Greg Byrd, of Asheville, his sons Christopher, 27, and Phillip, 25, and his Christophers’ fiance Jackie Kulzer all died in the crash. A pet also died in the wreck.
The Piper PA-32 left Asheville at about 8:14 a.m. Friday en route to Mississippi. The plane had just refueled at Atlanta’s DeKalb-Peachtree Airport at around 10 a.m. just before the crash.
https://twitter.com/SunTimesATL/status/596690392248098817
Plane crashes at I-285 at Peachtree Industrial. http://t.co/fEySBh2AbM pic.twitter.com/6CmLlxBWEX
— AJC (@ajc) May 8, 2015
Monitoring: @DunwoodyPolice report that a plane has landed on a highway in Georgia. Photo by @JoshBare pic.twitter.com/u7oqtGGmpO
— BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) May 8, 2015
https://twitter.com/BNONews/status/596684149206994944
Moments after the plane crash onto I-285: #ATLtraffic #ATLnews pic.twitter.com/HOtBxxKC2n
— Chris Monroe TRAFFIC (@AtlantaTraffic) May 8, 2015
https://twitter.com/ajc/status/596682603752771584
285 east is shutdown at Ashford Dunwoody rd. officers are redirecting traffic. #ATLtraffic
— Dunwoody Police (@DunwoodyPolice) May 8, 2015
AN AIRPLANE HAS LANDED ON I-285EB. ALL 285EB HAS BEEN SHUT DOWN AT CHAMBLEE DUNWOODY RD. USE ALTERNATE ROUTES. WILL UPDATE AS WE GET IT
— Dunwoody Police (@DunwoodyPolice) May 8, 2015
We are closing down 285 Eastbound at Chamblee Dunwoody Rd. plane down in the area #ATLtraffic
— Dunwoody Police (@DunwoodyPolice) May 8, 2015