Premier I Jet Went Down Tuesday Night Shortly After Takeoff

A Raytheon 390 Premier 1 business jet went down Tuesday night shortly after takeoff from Fulton County Airport near Atlanta on its way to New Orleans. The two people on board the airplane were fatally injured.

The accident occurred just after 1900 EDT. Television station WSB reports that a nearby resident said that "before it even hit, the house shook." Drew Hawkins, who lives in the neighborhood where the airplane went down, said he then heard an explosion and "the house shook even more."

Homeowner Kevin Crapp told the station that it appeared the airplane was going to hit his house, but "at the last minute, dipped its wings over and it banked really hard right." The plane impacted terrain about 200 yards from his house. A post-impact fire ensued. No one on the ground was injured.

FAA records indicate that the Premier was registered to Mallen Industries Inc. located in Norcross, GA. Its airworthiness certificate was issued in November of 2003, and was set to expire early in 2016.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov