On Thursday evening, a plane crashed near a General Mills (GM) plant in Covington, Georgia, killing everyone aboard, according to police.
A twin-engine Cessna appeared to have engine issues shortly after takeoff around 6:45 p.m., according to Captain Ken Malcom of the Covington Police Department. Witnesses told police the aircraft was traveling northeast but had difficulty gaining altitude and was making strange engine noises.
The plane veered right and landed in an isolated portion of the GM plant where tractor-trailers are stored, according to Malcom. The actual crash occurred approximately 300 feet away from the plant.
He reported that the plane seemed to explode upon impact and the crash caused several empty trailers to catch fire.
“We saw what we believe is a wing and possibly a part of an engine, but again it’s a lot [of] charred metal back there right now,” said Malcom.
Investigators are still trying to figure out how many people were on board, but police say there were no survivors.
“We are working on a lead to determine who the victims were in the crash,” he added. “The fact that it didn’t crash into the plant saved many lives.”
A spokesperson for General Mills informed CBS 46 that the company is cooperating with authorities.
“A small plane crashed near the General Mills Covington, Georgia manufacturing facility. No employees were harmed, and we’re partnering with the FAA and local law enforcement,” said the representative.
GM is located at 15200 Industrial Park Boulevard NE. It is about eight-tenths of a mile southeast of Covington Municipal Airport’s eastern runway edge.
While authorities first assumed the aircraft took off from a neighboring airport, FlightAware data indicates the flight was inbound and may have had difficulty landing.
A large cloud of smoke could be seen 30 miles southeast of Atlanta.