A local pilot lost his life Tuesday morning after his single-engine plane crashed into a wooded area in rural Alabama.
Douglas Emge, 62, was flying a Van’s RV-4 aircraft when the plane went down near Albertville at roughly 6:50 a.m.
The crash took place in the community of Whitton, near the 4700 block of County Road 3.
Wreckage from the aircraft came to rest in the woods directly behind the local Whitton water tank.
First responders from the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office rushed to the location and found the downed plane deep in the trees.
DeKalb County Emergency Management Agency Director Michael Posey confirmed that Emge was the sole occupant on board and did not survive.
Federal investigators from both the FAA and the NTSB were called in to inspect the site and review flight details.
Authorities have not listed a cause for the crash, and official teams remain on scene to gather wreckage evidence.
Deputies are asking local residents to give investigators room and avoid the crash area while the investigation proceeds.
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