Small Plane Crash in Georgia Woods Kills One Man and Injures Another After Engine Trouble Near Lawrenceville Homes

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA — One man was killed and another was injured when a small plane crashed into wooded terrain near homes in Lawrenceville on Tuesday evening, according to Gwinnett County fire officials.

Fire crews said the single-engine aircraft had reported engine trouble before going down. Responders reached the crash site within minutes and found both men trapped inside the plane. One was already dead when crews arrived, while the other was rescued and taken to a hospital with injuries described as not life-threatening.

Officials said there was no active fire at the scene.

Engine trouble reported before the plane went down

Gwinnett County’s air traffic control tower alerted 911 dispatchers around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday that the plane had reported an engine problem and was in the trees, fire spokesperson Jessica Joyner said. The aircraft had taken off from Briscoe Field before the crash.

Firefighters arrived at about 5:39 p.m. in the 1000 block of Old Athens Road. They found the wreckage in woods near residential areas, but crews did not report any additional damage to nearby homes.

Joyner said the response focused first on getting access to the aircraft and determining whether anyone could be safely removed.

Rescue crews free the surviving passenger

Two men were inside the plane when firefighters reached it. Crews worked to extricate the surviving passenger from the wreckage before transporting him to a hospital.

Officials said the injured man’s condition was serious enough to require medical care, but his injuries were not believed to be life-threatening. The other man was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Gwinnett County Medical Examiner’s Office also responded, and the victim’s family was notified at the crash site, fire officials said.

Investigators from the NTSB and FAA respond

The cause of the crash remains under investigation. The National Transportation Safety Board is leading that work, with the Federal Aviation Administration also responding to the scene.

In aviation accidents, investigators typically examine the aircraft, the flight path and maintenance issues, along with any communications made before impact. Officials have not released further details about what may have caused the engine problem or the crash itself.

For now, the condition of the wreckage and the aircraft’s final moments are the central focus of the inquiry.

Police to secure wreckage as roads near the scene close

Gwinnett County police will secure the wreckage while the investigation continues, officials said. A road closure is also planned at Rock House Road SE and Old Athens Road SE.

The crash drew emergency crews to a busy area near homes, but officials have not said whether the plane struck any structures before coming to rest in the woods.

Residents in the area were left with a visible emergency response as investigators and responders continued working through the evening.

What is known so far about the people on board

Authorities have not publicly identified either man. Fire officials said the deceased man’s family was informed at the scene, while the surviving man was transported for treatment.

At this point, officials have confirmed only that the plane was a single-engine aircraft that departed Briscoe Field and later reported engine trouble before crashing in the woods. The timeline and the emergency response are clear, but the full cause of the accident is not.

The investigation by federal aviation authorities will determine the next steps in understanding how the crash unfolded.