2 survive plane crash at Raleigh East Airport in Knightdale, agencies investigating cause

KNIGHTDALE, N.C. (WNCN) — A small, two-seater plane with two people on board crashed in a wooded area just shy of the runway at an airport in Knightdale Wednesday afternoon, according to emergency officials. The cause of the crash is still under investigation, but neighbors in the area were the first to see it and respond around 2:30 p.m. at Raleigh East Airport on Three Sisters Road. Those neighbors jumped in to render aid to the two in the plane who were alert, conscious and talking, according to William Boggs, the Knightdale Fire Department Battalion Chief. Fire, law enforcement and EMS crews arrived shortly after and quickly transported the pilot and passenger to a hospital, where they are expected to recover, Boggs said. Later Wednesday afternoon, the North Carolina Highway Patrol identified them as pilot Luis Quijano and passenger John Wellman. It was a "big response" to the area, which Boggs said is cleared of any danger to the public. The plane involved in the crash was listed as a sport aircraft called a Cheetah XLS. The airplane sustained "heavy damage to the wings and to the cockpit," Boggs added. A CBS 17 team is on the scene where the investigation remains ongoing with multiple agencies on scene. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are leading the investigation, and the North Carolina State Highway Patrol is also on scene, investigating in part whether the aircraft came into contact with an 18-wheeler on the property. Officials confirmed there was not a heavy amount of air traffic in the area or any odd weather patterns at the time of the crash. This is a developing story. Check back with CBS 17 for updates.