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Pilot killed when plane crashes in suburban Atlanta

Christopher Buchanan
WXIA-TV, Atlanta
Plane crashes in a Cobb County, Ga., neighborhood.

ATLANTA — At least one person was killed when a small business jet crashed near a suburban Atlanta home Friday night, authorities say.

The incident happened around 7:20 p.m. ET Friday. Fire crews are on the scene and dark smoke was seen rising above the site of the crash.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the crash involved a twin-engine Cessna Citation I en route from Wilmington, Del., to Fulton County Airport in Atlanta. Spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said that the aircraft went down in Marietta northeast of Cobb County International Airport/McCollum Field.

A Cobb County Fire Department spokeswoman said the plane crashed next to a house and exploded. The house next door caught on fire from the radiant heat and was fully engulfed when the department arrived on the scene, she said.

The spokeswoman said the only known victim is the sole occupant of the plane; everyone in both houses got out safely.

The FAA was heading to the scene to investigate. The National Transportation Safety Board will also be working to determine the cause of the accident.

Jessica Jordan and Jesse Mhoon were driving nearby when she spotted the plane from the corner of her eye.

"It was leaning on its side and disappeared behind trees," Jordan said. "Three seconds later I heard it crash and then smoke just came out of nowhere."

Mhoon said the plane was falling sideways with its left wing pointed downward.

Contributing: Mike Navin, WXIA-TV; the Associated Press