SUFFOLK, Va. (WAVY) – Two people are dead as the result of a plane crash in Suffolk Saturday afternoon, Virginia State Police said.
A small passenger plane crashed around 12:16 p.m., according to Virginia State Police and Suffolk Fire & Rescue, and the plane was engulfed in fire after the crash in an area a quarter-mile off of Carolina Road.
Engine 8 arrived at 12:18 p.m. to find heavy smoke showing from a large area off of the 3900 block of Carolina Road.
Suffolk Fire Chief Mike Barakey said the crash caused a large area of brush and trees to catch fire, with homes in the area threatened by what it said was a rapidly-progressing fire. Barakey added that all residents affected have been safely evacuated.
Suffolk Fire & Rescue said the fire from the crash was spreading across approximately 35 acres of open field and forest. The fire was marked under control at 3:47 p.m.
In an update on Saturday night from Virginia State Police, the two victims who died in the crash were identified as 54-year-old Christian Rask Fauchald and 53-year-old Eric John Bergevin.
Two people are dead as the result of a plane crash in Suffolk Saturday afternoon, Virginia State Police said. (WAVY Photo – Dominic Ross) 
Two people are dead as the result of a plane crash in Suffolk Saturday afternoon, Virginia State Police said. (WAVY Photo – Dominic Ross) 
Two people are dead as the result of a plane crash in Suffolk Saturday afternoon, Virginia State Police said. (Photo – Suffolk Fire & Rescue) 
Two people are dead as the result of a plane crash in Suffolk Saturday afternoon, Virginia State Police said. (Photo – Suffolk Fire & Rescue) 
Two people are dead as the result of a plane crash in Suffolk Saturday afternoon, Virginia State Police said. (Photo – Suffolk Fire & Rescue) 
Photo Courtesy: Virginia State Police 
Photo Courtesy: Virginia State Police 
Photo Courtesy: Virginia State Police 
Photo Courtesy: Virginia State Police 
Photo Courtesy: Virginia State Police
Condolences have come in for the two men on social media.
Virginia State Police is providing updates on the investigation into the incident.
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board have been notified. The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation and provide additional updates, according to the FAA.
State Police said the make and model of the plane are currently unknown, but an update from the NTSB identified the plane as a Piper PA-28.
Once investigators verify the aircraft registration number at the scene, the FAA said it would release it.
Neither agency identifies people involved in aircraft accidents.
The responding units include Battalion 1, Battalion 2, Engine 3, Engine 1, Engine 2, Engine 8, Engine 7, Engine 10, Ladder 3, Rescue 1, Medic 8, Medic 6, Medic 1, EMS 1, Safety 1, Rehab 6, Car 1, Tanker 1, Tanker 7, Tanker 8, UT 04, ATV 04, Forestry 1, Forestry 2, Fire Marshal 6 and Fire Marshal 7 as well as Suffolk Police.
Check with WAVY.com for updates.
