RINGGOLD, Va. – National Traffic Safety Board investigators have completed their on-site work at the scene of a plane crash in Pittsylvania County.

The pilot, who has not been publicly identified, died when the twin-engine Cessna 310R went down in a heavily wooded area about a half-mile off Cardwell Lane, not far from the Danville Fairgrounds. The pilot was working for SOL Surveyors out of Las Vegas when the plane descended suddenly and crashed shortly after 10 a.m. on February 1.

The wreckage was scattered over a large debris field stretching about 125 yards. Crews conducted a meticulous search of the crash site last week, gathering what remained of the fuselage onto a flatbed truck. Hundreds of smaller pieces were placed in large, white bags. The parts have been sent to Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Delaware, where the examination will continue.

NTSB Air Safety Investigator Lynn Spencer said a preliminary report will be released about two weeks after the crash. The factual report will be followed by a probable cause determination, which isn’t expected for another 12-to-18 months.

Photos courtesy Leonard Harville