The small aircraft went down after taking off from Taunton Municipal Airport

Aug 26, 2013 07:26 GMT  ·  By

Two people have been killed in a plane crash at Taunton Municipal Airport in Massachusetts, reports say.

The aircraft went down on Sunday morning, August 25. The two victims have been identified as 69-year-old John Schmouth, of Brockton, and 61-year-old Roland Deslauriers, of Bridgewater.

According to the Boston Globe, Schmouth was the pilot on the aircraft. Officials at the Bristol district attorney’s office mention that the victims' identities have not yet been confirmed.

“Although next of kin notifications have been made and investigators believe they have identified both victims, the confirmed identities of the two victims will not officially be known until the Medical Examiner’s Office conducts autopsies on the remains,” Gregg Miliote says, speaking for the DA's office.

The plane burst into flames upon impact, just before 6.38 a.m. It was a small Aeronca 7AC equipped with a single front propeller.

“There isn’t much to the aircraft. [...] It’s a fabric-covered aircraft,” says commissioner James Madigan with the Taunton Municipal Airport Commission.

“It’s all burnt up,” he describes.

The ID number on the plane was severely damaged in the crash, the Taunton Gazette details. The remains of the two men were lodged inside the wreckage, and first responders detached the wings in order to retrieve them.

“The plane was dismantled,” adds Taunton Mayor, Thomas Hoye Jr.

Since owners of small planes do not have to file flight plans, identifying the victims has been an ordeal.

“It’s just like you get in your car and drive. You don’t have to tell anybody where you’re going,” Madigan explains.

Officials suspect mechanical difficulties as the cause of the crash. It collapsed near Westcoat Drive just after taking off.

“There was potentially some malfunction with the plane,” Hoye says.

“The FAA is investigating. The NTSB will determine probable cause of the accident,” FAA spokesperson Kathleen Bergen notes.