A father and son have died after a plane crash Saturday afternoon in Spotsylvania County.
Virginia State Police say that 48-year-old John Morton Jr. and his 13-year-old son, Kyle, both of Stafford, died at the scene.
The Cessna 150M single-engine plane crashed around 5:30 p.m., coming to rest in the 11000 block of Carrie Court in Spotsylvania. It ripped off tree branches as it fell, landing next to a van in the River Heights Mobile Home Park.
The small plane had just taken off from the Shannon Airport, officials said. Investigators say that the elder Morton had been working on the plane and conducting multiple take-offs and landings that day.
Keith Johnson saw the crash from his window. "The engines were running, and it sounded like it was sputtering in and out, and then I saw it go up, 180 degrees, and then corkscrewed down and hit the ground," he told NBC4's Darcy Spencer.
Johnson said he was shaken by the sight. "Two people lost their lives today," he said.
Kyle Morton was a 8th grader at Dixon Smith Middle School. Counselors were at the school Monday to speak to the students in Kyle’s classes and meet with students and staff members individually as needed.
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The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the crash, as are Virginia State Police.
Stay with NBC4 and NBCWashington.com for updates.
