By Audrey Moon
ROCKFORD (WREX) — One person is dead after a plane crashed Thursday afternoon at Rockford’s airport, according to Winnebago County Coroner Bill Hintz.
The Beech King Air 200 aircraft was taking off from the Chicago-Rockford International Airport around 3:40 p.m., airport officials say, when just two minutes later, emergency officials received a call about a fire on the airfield.
Airport officials say plane crashed just east of Runway 1 and caught fire. The one person on board was not able to get out of the aircraft and died. The pilot was the only person on board.
Witnesses say they saw the plane bobble just after takeoff before crashing and catching fire.
Federal aviation records show the plane was registered to a home in Wayne, Illinois, in DuPage County. Flight records show the plane frlew to RFD on Thursday August 13, but hadn’t taken off again until this Thursday.
The National Transportation Safety Board is arriving to Rockford to investigate the crash.
Allegiant flights are scheduled to arrive in Rockford but could experience delays as investigators respond to the airport.
Fire officials and emergency crews from across the region responded.
