Plane's Creator Richard Hogan Fatally Injured In The Accident

Richard Hogan, the creator of the Commuter Craft experimental aircraft, which was something of a staple on display at AirVenture and other shows like Sun 'n Fun, was fatally injured Saturday during a test flight of the airplane.

Television station WSB reports that, according to authorities, Hogan departed from Tom B. David Field airport (KCZL) in Calhoun, GA Saturday for the test flight. The plane went down shortly after takeoff.

Witness Jody Miller told the station's reporter on the scene that the impact of the airplane with the ground sounded "like a bomb going off." He said he rushed to the accident scene hoping the pilot might still be alive, but quickly realized that was not possible and called 911.

The NTSB has traveled to the scene to begin their investigation.

According to the Commuter Craft website, the airplane was "a two-place, side-by-side carbon fiber kit-aircraft with range and performance for cross-country use, featuring an exceptionally roomy cabin, large luggage capacity, and state of the art safety characteristics." The company said it had taken 59 reservations for the airplane.

(Images from file)

FMI: Source report