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

Another portion of Augusta Canal towpath is reopening to public

Published

2 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Press Room

Another portion of Augusta Canal towpath is reopening to public

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Another section of the Augusta Canal towpath is reopening after being closed since Hurricane Helene.

The storm on Sept. 27, 2024, left the path strewn with debris as broken branches hung precarously overhead.

On Friday, the path will reopen between the raw water pump station and the Interstate 20 bridge.

In preparation, crews have made safety improvements along the previously closed section of the trail.

Visitors are asked to observe all posted signs and stay behind safety barriers.

Embankment repairs have been delayed, but will take place in the future.

Once repair work begins, portions of the towpath will be temporarily closed at various times. Advance notice will be shared with the public before any closures.

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Augusta, GA

Augusta budget approved, but battle could rage on

Published

14 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Press Room

Augusta budget approved, but battle could rage on

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – Greg Costello is getting his steps in at Diamond Lakes, and he thinks Augusta took the right step on the budget.

“I like that, that’s good. That was probably something that was needed right,” said Greg Costello.

Commissioners approved the 2026 budget without a tax increase. Instead, there’s a 5 percent cut to city departments and the elimination of funding for some non-government organizations.

“For this budget and we went through line item by line item through the budget we had to make some difficult decisions to make cuts,” said Mayor Pro-Tem Wayne Guilfoyle.

At Diamond Lakes, those cuts will likely be felt.

MACH Academy Inc., the nationally recognized tennis mentoring program, is losing $200,000 in funding, and a 5 percent cut to Recreation that maintains it, creates worries.

“Yes, I am, because I think parks are very well needed,” said Costello.

Commissioners can make changes to the budget at any time, and some would like that instead of the cuts.

“We have a responsibility to support programs that help our kids stay out of trouble to help our community stay healthy and strong, to help add quality of life and museums and things of that nature,” said Commissioner Jordan Johnson.

“The only other option we have is to raise taxes to fund the NGOs. As a steward of the taxpayers, I can not do that,” said Guilfoyle.

It was a battle getting next year’s budget approved. Expect another one if there’s a move to amend it.

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Augusta, GA

Augusta nonprofits unite to raise $200K for medical supply center

Published

1 day ago

December 17, 2025

Press Room

Augusta nonprofits unite to raise 0K for medical supply center

AUGUSTA, Ga (WJBF)- Two local nonprofit groups are teaming up to expand their mission to provide medical equipment to those in need.

Cutter’s Resource Closet and Sons of Consolation Ministries collect, refurbish and distribute used medical equipment to people who can’t afford it.

“We see roughly around anywhere around about 100 people. And we only operate for 4 hours one day a week,” explained Cutter Mitchell of Cutter’s Resource Closet. “Through that time, we’ve given out about $1,000,000 worth of equipment and supplies. And these are just growing. I mean, we’re at capacity. We literally can’t do more without more.”

The two organizations have been working together for some time. Now they are partnering to raise a total of $200,000 to buy, renovate and operate a full-time community medical resource center in Augusta.

“Really what we’re trying to do is have a central location to be able to distribute the medical supplies and equipment. But more than that, connect people with resources,” said Mitchell.

They told NewsChannel 6 the new center will help them do even more for the community.

“Here, we also are looking at adding a couple of things that we’re not presently doing, like some exam rooms to do, just basic health screening and maybe some minor wound care,” said Don Cummings, Sons of Consolation Ministries. “Because a lot of people, they’re just not being taken care of because they won’t or don’t go to the doctor or can’t afford it or whatever. So we’re really looking for this to be a supplement to what we started.”

So far, they’ve raised about $60,000. Now they’re asking for the community’s help and generosity to get the center up and running.

“I’ve often thought the right thing to do, right, is not what you could do, not what you want to do, but it’s what you should do. And it often isn’t easy, often comes at a cost to you personally. But that’s why it’s called the right thing to do,” said Mitchell.

“You know, every little bit helps. You know, a lot of times people, they feel like they don’t have enough to make a difference or they just don’t know where to send it. And I believe that this is a good cause,” Cummings added.

If you are in need of medical equipment or have equipment you would like to donate, just go to the websites for either Sons of Consolation Ministries or Cutter’s Resource Closet to find out how they can help.

If you are interested in contributing financially to the capital campaign, the organizations have a GoFundMe set up.

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