Two Girls And Volunteer Pilot Aboard When Plane Goes Down On Takeoff

An accident involving a Piper PA-28 that went down Saturday morning in Everett, WA has claimed three lives, including two ninth-grade girls participating in the EAA's Young Eagles program, and a pilot volunteer. All three were aboard the Cherokee 140 (file photo of type, below) when it went down after apparently failing to gain altitude during an attempted go-around.

According to witnesses at the scene, the plane lost altitude shortly after lifting off and went down in an undeveloped construction site in a residential area southwest of Paine Field.

Witness Kiersten Smith, speaking to the Seattle Times, said the plane appeared to only climb to 150 ft AGL before it went down.

"[The pilot] flew just over the trees and started to turn to his left and lost altitude, then disappeared behind the trees," he said. "I heard him hit a group of trees and saw smoke come up."

The plane was on fire when Smith arrived at the scene, he said. The NTSB is investigating the cause of the accident.

The two girls were members in the EAA's Young Eagles program, that gives students their first free ride aboard a light aircraft. The program relies on pilots who donate their time and aircraft to the cause.

The accident aircraft was among a dozen airplanes participating in the program Saturday, according to Peter Anderson, president of Galvin Flying Service, that hosted the event.

The girls were also enrolled in Aviation High School, a college-prep school geared to students with an interest in aviation.

"Everyone affiliated with the high school is devastated by this and we are grieving with the families," said Highland School District spokeswoman Catherine Carbone-Rogers. "We will try to support them and the students of Aviation High School as they deal with this loss."

The names of all three victims have not been released. Carbone-Rogers says social workers and a crisis team will be available Monday to counsel Aviation High students.

FMI: www.eaa.org