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A passenger on a private plane was killed when the aircraft experienced severe turbulence on Friday (March 3). The Bombardier Challenger 300 took off from Keene, New Hampshire, and was heading toward Leesburg, Virginia.
The jet headed south along the Connecticut River, reaching an altitude of 26,000 feet. As the plane neared Springfield, Massaschuttes, it began to descend.
After experiencing the turbulence, the plane was forced to make an emergency landing at Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut.
There were two crew members and three passengers on the jet, which is owned by Conexon. It is unknown if anybody else on the plane was injured.
The National Transportation Safety Board has launched an investigation into the incident. It is unclear if the passenger was seated and wearing a seatbelt at the time. It is also unknown if the aircraft sustained any damage due to the turbulence.
Investigators recovered the plane's cockpit voice and data recorders and sent them to the NTSB headquarters in Washington, D.C., for analysis. The NTSB expects to have a preliminary report on the incident in two to three weeks.