Pilot killed in fiery northwest Georgia plane crash ID'd

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

CALHOUN, Ga. - Authorities have identified the pilot killed in a fiery crash of a small plane as a 73-year-old Calhoun man.

Deputy Coroner Bo Nicholson identified the pilot as Roy Gardner Russom.

Nicholson tells The Calhoun Times that Russom was the only person on board when the plane crashed shortly after takeoff from Calhoun's airport around 2 p.m. Tuesday.

Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen says the amateur-built aircraft crashed in the woods. Bergen says the plane burst into flames and was destroyed.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash.

Calhoun is about 65 miles northwest of Atlanta in Gordon County.