There was no in-flight structural damage to the Beech C23 airplane that ultimately crashed shortly after takeoff near the Barrow County Airport, according to a preliminary report released by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
The crash happened around 2 p.m. February 17, and killed Shannon Ewing of Gwinnett County and his nephew, Henry Ewing of Jones County.
Henry Ewing possessed a flight instructor certificate, while his uncle possessed a student pilot certificate, according to the report.
Witnesses told the NTSB that the plane was flying fast and low over Ga. 82 before a "puff of gray" was visible over the trees.
No flight plan was filed that day, and nobody witnessed the actual takeoff of the aircraft, although one pilot reported hearing radio traffic of a plane taking off from Runway 31.
Crash investigators, according to the report, determined that the plane hit several trees just outside of Runway 31.
At the time of the crash, officials were unsure if the plane was arriving or departing from the airport in Winder.
