Augusta, GA

I-TEAM: What we know about crashed plane, federal investigation

Published

2 years ago

May 5, 2024

I-TEAM: What we know about crashed plane, federal investigation

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The National Transportation Safety Board has already launched its investigation of an airplane crash that killed the pilot Thursday morning in an Augusta neighborhood.

The single-engine propeller-driven plane crashed at Hillcrest Avenue at Belmount Drive around 7:13 a.m. Thursday, moments after taking off from Daniel Field.

It was bound for New Haven, Conn., but only made it a couple of blocks and 625 feet in altitude before it came down in the densely populated neighborhood.

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Many are calling the pilot, Jason McKenzie, a hero for avoiding deaths and injuries on the ground, even though he died in the crash.

After arriving at the crash site around 2:45 p.m. Thursday, NTSB investigator Ralph Hicks took a few minutes to discuss the case.

Hicks said he’d be spending 24 to 36 hours in Augusta.

“We don’t rule anything out,” Hicks said. “We’re here just to just to gather facts, and then put everything together at the end of the investigation.”

Investigators will take pieces of the airplane to a hangar elsewhere in Georgia, where they’ll put it back together and try to determine what happened.

As of right now, investigators don’t know what caused the crash, but they’ll be looking at several factors, including the pilot, the aircraft and the operating environment.

As far as the pilot, Hicks said officials do know McKenzie is an experienced pilot with 800 hours of flight time as of last year.

A visual inspection didn’t reveal any evidence of catastrophic engine failure, Hicks said, and there was no indication of a distress call.

He said it’s not clear whether the pilot tried to return to the airfield before the crash, although observers noted that the direction of the crash might indicate he had.

The “black box” data recorder on the plane could be key if it captured anything important.

Investigators will be looking at flights the plane has made in the past 72 hours that may indicate whether anything has gone wrong.

We looked at the flight records, which show the plane had made several trips in the past few days, including:

To Greensboro, N.C., on April 24 and back to Daniel Field on Saturday.
To Southern Pines, N.C., and back on April 23.
To Sevierville, Tenn., and back on April 20.
To Thomson and back on April 18.

We know the Beechcraft Bonanza A36 was manufactured in 1999 and owned by WBME, a limited-liability corporation based in Warrenville, according to government records.

The plane had four cabin windows on each side, starboard rear double doors and seats for six. Two of those seats were in the cockpit and four were in the cabin – configured as two rows of two seats each, with the rows facing each other, according to photos of the plane posted online. It had a small cargo area in the rear.

Its certificate was valid until 2030.

Equipped with a three-blade propeller and a 300-horsepower engine, the model was introduced in 1968 and is still being made by the Beechcraft division of Textron – a company that has a plant in Augusta.

WBME was created in October 2023 and the plane was registered to it the next month. The previous owner was in California, so this was a new plane for the owner, though it was made 25 years ago.

The plane’s first flight under WBME ownership was in February of this year.

As far as the investigation, the NTSB’s work could take a while.

Hicks said the agency would release a preliminary statement of facts about the crash in about a week. But a final report on the cause could take a year or two.

The public can help. Hicks said there were indications that video doorbells in the neighborhood had recorded the crash. And some people may have seen it.

Witnesses or those who have surveillance video or other information are asked to contact the NTSB at witness@ntsb.gov.

Beyond witness statements and video, the NTSB said Hicks and other investigators will scrutinize:

Recordings of any air traffic control communications.
Aircraft maintenance records.
Weather forecasts and actual weather and lighting conditions around the time of the accident.
A 72-hour background of the pilot.
Electronic devices.

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Augusta, GA

Augusta 911 call center earns statewide honor

Published

10 hours ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

Augusta 911 call center earns statewide honor

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The Augusta 911 center has been named 2025 Communications Center of the Year at the Georgia Emergency Communications Conference in Athens.

The award recognizes excellence in public safety communications, innovation, leadership and service.

The award recognizes a center that demonstrates strong performance in emergency response coordination, training, technology and community engagement.

The Augusta center was selected among agencies statewide for its consistent service, professional standards and coordination with public safety partners.

“This recognition reflects the work our team does every single day,” said Daniel R. Dunlap, 911 director. “Our communications officers are the first point of contact during some of the most difficult moments in a person’s life. They provide reassurance, direction and critical coordination until help arrives. I am incredibly proud of the dedication and strength they show.”

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Augusta, GA

Popn’ Off Gourmet Popcorn opens on Broad Street in Augusta

Published

22 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Popn’ Off Gourmet Popcorn opens on Broad Street in Augusta

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A new gourmet popcorn shop has opened on Broad Street, bringing a Chicago-style twist to downtown Augusta.

Popn’ Off Gourmet Popcorn and Nuts, located at 716 Broad Street next to the Miller Theater, opened late last year. Owner Sheila Jones moved to Augusta from Chicago, where she said gourmet popcorn has a strong following.

“I’m from Chicago where gourmet popcorn is kind of a big deal,” Jones said.

Specialty flavors made in house

The shop offers specialty flavors including caramel, strawberry drizzle, peppermint, Oreo, green apple, and peanut butter — all made in house. Jones said the experience starts before customers even reach the counter.

“The smell is part of the experience. Green apple, strawberry, strawberry drizzle with chocolate. We have a new peanut butter flavor I just did,” Jones said.

A business built for family

Jones said her move to Augusta and her decision to open the business were driven by her son, who is on the autism spectrum. She said she believed he would be more comfortable in Augusta and wanted to build something that would benefit him long-term.

“I wanted him to have something when he gets older. He has a job already if he wants one. He already has a business,” Jones said.

Jones said starting the business has been harder than she expected. She handles most operations herself, with some help from family. She said the purpose behind the shop keeps her motivated.

“Coming into this every day is fulfilling because I built it. I’m building it and I just wanna see how high we’ll go,” Jones said.

Popn’ Off Gourmet Popcorn and Nuts is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The shop is also holding a pop-up Saturday at noon on Gordon Highway.

Here’s a link to their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61584084467886#

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Augusta, GA

Deputy fired over on-duty sex with co-worker’s wife, documents show

Published

1 day ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Deputy fired over on-duty sex with co-worker’s wife, documents show

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – A deputy was fired for having sex with another deputy’s wife while on duty, according to personnel documents from the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office.

And it’s not the first time his love life has raised questions − he left a job in Aiken County after a similar problem.

Sgt. Christopher Chavous was dismissed after the matter was reported by the deputy whose wife was allegedly having the relations with now-fired deputy, according to the documents.

Chavous admitted it when confronted by an investigator on Feb. 16, according to the documents.

He said he first slept with her before Christmas and had continued doing so at least one or two times a week, according to the documents.

He also admitted that he’d done so at least once while on duty, according to the documents.

The husband said he’d suspected for some time that his wife had been sleeping with another deputy, but he initially didn’t know who it was.

Eventually, the husband tracked his wife on his phone to an apartment he knew belonged to Chavous, according to the documents.

Additionally, the husband showed Sgt. Walter McNeil, who was investigating the allegations, a video he’d obtained that showed his wife standing in the doorway of the apartment while kissing Chavous.

The husband also provided additional images of his wife’s car at the complex, as well as Chavous’ unmarked patrol car there.

The husband “advised that he doesn’t feel comfortable with the fact that Sgt. Chavous is in a peer support role with the agency, and he sleeps around with other Deputies wives,” McNeil wrote.

When confronted by internal affairs, Chavous admitted he’d been sleeping with the other deputy’s wife for about a month and a half, according to the documents. Chavous said he was going through a divorce of his own, according to the documents.

“It is imperative for all employees of this agency to always demonstrate sound judgment, both on and off duty,” McNeil wrote in the report. “Additionally, staff members must conduct themselves in a manner that upholds the integrity and reputation of the Sheriff’s Office. The actions of Sgt. Chavous fell short of these established standards.”

The personnel documents state the final disposition for Chavous, who also runs the Support 1 charity: “Termination.”

In response to the action, Chavous told News 12:

“I will have to refer to this to my counsel. I am appealing the decision.”

He faces certain investigation by the state.

Anytime a law enforcement officer is fired in the state, it automatically triggers an investigation by the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council.

Here’s a look at his POST records so far:

News 12 learned that before he came to Richmond County, Chavous retired from the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office in 2023 after a complaint of an inappropriate relationship with a confidential informant.

These sex scandals seem to be a recurring problem for law enforcement agencies across the CSRA:

In January, we reported that Aiken County Sheriff Marty Sawyer took action to demote two employees for allegedly engaging in an inappropriate sexual relationship while on duty, according to officials.
In December, we reported that deputy Diana Santiago was arrested after admitting to an “intimate relationship” with a member of a gang and using Richmond County Sheriff’s Office databases to look up information for that member while on duty.
In 2023, we reported that an open microphone in a patrol car revealed that two supervisors had sex during working hours. They were demoted.
Two other Richmond County deputies were fired after their relationship was uncovered. They were fired not for the relationship but for lying about it.
In 2023, we reported that a deputy had sex with a woman who’d called 911. He was put on probation for one year.
In addition, Burke County Sheriff Alfonzo Williams has been involved in a lawsuit by a former employee who alleges he was involved in sexual harassment.