NTSB: Pilot dies after small plane crashes near Sterling Airport

STERLING, Mass. — The NTSB is investigating a fatal crash involving a small airplane near Sterling Airport.

State police tweeted on Wednesday afternoon that a small plane went down in a wooded area near the Sterling Airport. Rescue units, including MSP, Sterling Police and Fire, and EMS all responded to the scene.

According to the FAA, a Cessna 177 crashed shortly after leaving the airport at 2:30 Wednesday afternoon.

The pilot was the only person aboard. The Worcester DA’s office said the pilot, a local man who had been flying for 20 years, died when the plane crashed in wetlands, not far from the runway at the airport.

The NTSB continues to investigate the crash.

“A Cessna 177 crashed after departing from Runway 16 at Sterling Airport in Massachusetts at 2:30 p.m., today. The aircraft clipped trees and came to rest in a swampy area approximately 100 yards north of the runway. Contact local authorities for information on the pilot, who was the only person aboard the aircraft. The FAA will investigate and the NTSB will determine the probable cause of the accident. All information is preliminary and subject to change.”

—  Federal Aviation Administration

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