Friday, Dec. 14, 2012

BYRON, Ga. (AP) -- A new report from the National Transportation Safety Board found the likely cause of a deadly plane crash in central Georgia to be high speed, which caused the airplane to break apart in flight.

The NTSB report released this week found the probable cause of the accident was speed above what is recommended for the Hawker Beechcraft BE35.

The plane crashed in a Byron subdivision on July 31, 2011, killing the pilot. No one on the ground was injured.

The NTSB report said witnesses working in a nearby field said they heard a loud "popping" sound. They looked up and saw the plane and what looked like a wing separating from it. They told investigators that the plane then began to spin before crashing into the ground.

(Copyright 2012, The Associated Press)