Federal Investigators Probe Deadly Lawrenceville Plane Crash After Small Airplane Goes Down Near Winder Highway, Killing One Man and Injuring Another Tuesday

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA — A small single-engine airplane crashed while trying to land near a busy Lawrenceville roadway Tuesday evening, killing one man and injuring another. Emergency crews rushed to the wooded crash site near Winder Highway and Bacchus Drive after the aircraft came down around 5:30 p.m., according to Gwinnett County Fire Department spokesperson Jessica Joyner.

Two men were trapped inside the wreckage when first responders arrived. One passenger, who was sitting on the left side of the aircraft, died from the force of the impact. Crews were able to pull the second man from the mangled plane, and officials said he is expected to be okay.

Crash happened during an attempted emergency landing after engine trouble

Federal officials said the aircraft, identified as a Velocity-173 FG, went down about one mile southeast of Gwinnett County Airport in a wooded area for reasons that remain under investigation. The flight had taken off from Briscoe Field earlier Tuesday evening and was airborne for about 90 minutes before the pilot reported engine trouble.

After that report, the pilot tried to make an emergency landing, but the plane went down before it could reach a runway or safer landing area. Gwinnett County Police confirmed the aircraft came to rest in the woods near the intersection, where emergency crews then worked to reach the victims and secure the scene.

First responders worked to free the survivor from the wreckage

Fire crews and police officers responded quickly after the crash, but the scene was difficult because the aircraft had landed in a wooded area close to a major road. Joyner said both men were trapped inside the aircraft when rescuers arrived, underscoring how violently the plane struck the ground.

Officials have not released the names of either man. Authorities also have not said whether either occupant was a pilot or passenger, and they have not released the specific make or model beyond the Velocity-173 FG identification.

NTSB and FAA are reviewing the plane, the pilot and the environment

The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration have taken over the crash review. Investigators are expected to inspect the wreckage, review flight telemetry and examine air traffic control recordings, flight tracking data and maintenance records.

They will also look at the aircraft’s mechanics, the operating environment and the pilot’s credentials. Weather forecasts, lighting conditions and the pilot’s activities during the 72 hours before the flight are part of the review as investigators work to determine what led to the crash.

Investigators are asking nearby residents for video and eyewitness details

Federal investigators are seeking help from anyone who may have captured the crash or the aircraft’s final moments. Witnesses with doorbell camera footage, security video or firsthand information are asked to email witness@ntsb.gov.

Officials are also collecting onboard electronic devices that may have survived the impact. Those items could help investigators reconstruct the final minutes of the flight and better understand what happened before the plane went down near Winder Highway.

Questions remain about the cause as the wreckage is studied

For now, the cause of the crash remains unknown. Officials have said the aircraft experienced mechanical trouble before the attempted landing, but they have not yet determined why the plane went down in the wooded area southeast of the airport.

The next phase of the investigation will center on the wreckage, the flight path and the aircraft’s condition before impact. Once the agencies finish on-site work, their findings will help explain how a routine flight turned deadly near one of Gwinnett County’s busier corridors.