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2 killed in West Virginia cargo plane crash

Story highlights
  • Plane's pilot and co-pilot killed in crash, airport spokesman tells CNN affiliate
  • Air Cargo Carriers plane crashed at Yeager Airport in Charleston, West Virginia

(CNN) Two people were killed Friday when a cargo plane crashed in Charleston, West Virginia, according to Kanawha County Manager Jennifer Herrald.

The left wing of the plane struck a runway during the landing, and the aircraft crashed in a wooded area, Kanawha County emergency officials said.

Emergency officials work near the crash site Friday at Yeager Airport.

The Air Cargo Carriers plane crashed around 6:55 a.m. at Yeager Airport, Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Arlene Salac said. Airport spokesman Mike Plante said the pilot and co-pilot died, CNN affiliate WCHS-TV in Charleston reported.

Flightradar24, a flight-tracking website, said the aircraft is a Short 330 small turboprop passenger plane. Air Cargo has converted its Short 330s into cargo planes.

The company was working as a subcontractor for United Parcel Service, UPS spokesman Steve Gaut said, and the flight originated in Louisville, Kentucky.

Traffic diverted to other airports

The plane hit the runway sideways and rolled 150 feet down a hill, Kanawha County Commission President Kent Carper told CNN affiliate WOWK-TV in Huntington.

The FAA will investigate, and the National Transportation Safety Board will determine the cause of the crash. The agency is sending six investigators and support staff to the site.

At present, Herrald said, there are no incoming and outgoing flights because crews are clearing debris from the site. Air traffic has been diverted to other airports.

Precautions over leaks

West Virginia American Water says it is monitoring the crash site for fuel leaks into a tributary of the nearby Elk River and is in contact with state and local crews. The utility said the state Department of Environmental Protection is "deploying booms and absorbent materials in a ditch" to keep any leak from reaching the river.

"The treatment plant's continuous source water monitoring panels have detected no changes in water quality," the company said in a statement. "The situation does not warrant any drinking water advisories at this time."

CNN's Thom Patterson and Rene Marsh contributed to this report.
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