CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — Two women were hurt after a small plane crashed in Clayton County late Tuesday night, police said.
The injuries to the women were not considered life-threatening, the Clayton County Police Department said in social media posts. They're recovering in the hospital, authorities added.
The National Transportation Safety Board said it's investigating the crash along with the Federal Aviation Administration. The single-engine, Piper PA-28 crashed in a field in Jonesboro near Tara Beach Lane shortly before 11 p.m.
Clayton County Police said the two women were found on the ground in the woods.
"They were not in the private plane when officers located them. They are being transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries," the police department added in a social media post.
Neighbors are still trying to process what happened, as plenty of damage is left behind.
Jayden Lettsome sent video from when he got off work late Tuesday night. He said he watched the plane circling lower and lower, flying above Tara Boulevard, in Jonesboro.
"Bro, look! That's the plane, right there. You guys, look how low it is," Lettsome said
Moments later, Donnell Edwards said there was a loud bang while he was watching television.
"I heard a loud, boom noise," Edwards recalled.
The plane was found about a half mile into a wooded area behind Edwards' home. He said he pointed the police in the right direction.
"Thank God that it didn't hit the house," he said.
Justin Cooper lives next door. He said he and his wife were shocked when the authorities showed up.
"Clayton County Police told us. They were like, 'Man, we've been looking for them for, like, two hours,'" Cooper recalled.
The running and flashing lights brought Cooper outside where he saw dozens of first responders rescuing the two, injured women inside the plane.
"One of them was screaming pretty loud— the first one they brought out— when they lifted her and put her on a stretcher," Cooper said. "The other one, she just kept saying, 'Thank God! Thank God!'"
As of Wednesday evening, the plane remained in the woods. Crews said at the scene that the plane will likely need to be broken down to be removed. Remnants of the crash and the passenger's belongings are still on the ground.
Residents said the two women on board are lucky to be alive.
"I thank God that they're okay," Cooper said. "You know, that was definitely a blessing that they made it all safe. And I hope they recover."
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
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