A plane crash at Taunton Municipal Airport in Massachusetts has left 69-year old pilot Brockton resident John Schmouth and Roland Deslauriers, 61, of Bridgewater dead.
The two deceased men were identified Sunday evening, hours after Taunton police received word that an aircraft crashed and burst into flames around 6:30 a.m.
Authorities did not name the people who died in the crash immediately, as they had to run dental tests to ensure correct identification.
"Although next of kin notifications have been made and investigators believe they have identified both victims, the confirmed identities of the two victims will not officially be known until the Medical Examiner's Office conducts autopsies on the remains," Gregg Miliote told the Boston Globe in a statement.
The small Aeronca 7AC plane was in the midst of takeoff when it plunged into Westcoat Drive-an avenue that leads to the airport.
No injuries on the runway were reported, but the aircraft was decimated as a result of the fire that ignited immediately after the plane dove into the asphalt.
"It's all burnt up," Taunton Municipal Airport commissioner James Madigan, told the Boston Globe. "There isn't much to the aircraft. It's a fabric-covered aircraft."
Madigan also reported that when he arrived on the scene, the Taunton Fire Department was working to put out the fire. The plane was so badly damaged by the enormous flames that the aircraft's ID number had been singed off, making it difficult to even identify the type of carrier.
These kinds of aircrafts also do not require a filed flight plan, nor a check-in at the airport, creating further complications on this particular crash.
Mayor of Taunton Thomas Hoye Jr. also went to the airport Sunday, calling the site "a tragic scene."
"At this point it just looks like a horrible accident, just a terrible tragedy," he lamented.
