UPDATE: Neurosurgeon killed in small plane crash in northern WVa

GRAFTON, W.Va. (AP) — A neurosurgeon has been identified as the pilot who was killed in the crash of a small airplane in northern West Virginia, police said.

West Virginia State Police and the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office identified the victim Wednesday as Dr. Thomas Kaye, 67, of Haydenville, Massachusetts, news outlets reported.

Kaye was the only person aboard the plane, which crashed and caught on fire Monday in woods in an unincorporated area between Fairmont and Grafton, State Police Sgt. Robert Garrison said.

Kaye was flying from Indiana to Massachusetts and had stopped at the North Central West Virginia Airport near Bridgeport for refueling, said National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Peter Knudson.

Taylor County Sheriff Terry Austin said it’s believed Kaye had just purchased the plane and was flying it home.

Kay worked with the Trinity Health of New England Medical Group in Waterbury, Connecticut.

GRAFTON, W.Va. (AP) — A pilot was killed Monday in the crash of a small airplane in northern West Virginia, police said.

The pilot was the only person aboard the plane, which crashed and caught on fire in woods in an unincorporated area near state Route 310 between Fairmont and Grafton, State Police Sgt. Robert Garrison told news outlets.

The pilot’s identity was not immediately determined. Federal aviation officials were expected to be at the scene on Tuesday.

Garrison said the plane’s origination and destination weren’t immediately known.

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Kassie Simmons
Kassie Simmons joined the team in January 2019 as a weekend journalist. She graduated from Virginia Tech in just two and a half years with a BA in multimedia journalism. During her short time at Virginia Tech, she served as the editor for the university’s chapter of The Tab. Kassie was named the top reporter for The Tab at Virginia Tech on multiple occasions and made the list for the top 30 reporters for The Tab in the U.S. She also studied theater performance and minored in creative writing. Before coming to WOAY, Kassie interned at WSLS in Roanoke and the Tidewater Review in her hometown of West Point, Va. She has loved following breaking news since her childhood and has a passion for delivering the stories people care most about. Kassie is excited to be working in Southern West Virginia and looks forward to all the adventures ahead of her. You can follow her on Twitter at @KassieLSimmons and like her page on Facebook. If you have a story you think she should check out, send her an email at ksimmons@woay.com.