NORFOLK -- A small plane believed to have four people aboard that was missing this morning after losing contact with the tower at Norfolk International Airport crashed in Norfolk Botanical Garden.
Firefighters were assessing the plane and looking for possible survivors, according to Norfolk Fire-Rescue Battalion Chief Julian Williamson.
The plane, described as a Mooney M20, was on approach to runway 23 around 4:30 a.m. and was a mile or two out from the airport when it made a final transmission to the tower, then lost contact, according to the Coast Guard and Williamson.
National Weather Service records show that visibility at the airport decreased from 1.25 miles to .50 miles between 4 and 5 a.m. With a warm front moving through the area carrying warmer, moister air, the fog can be slower to dissipate, said weather service meteorologist Andrew Zimmerman.
Rescuers from multiple other agencies were involved in the search initially in the Chesapeake Bay and harbor, including Norfolk Fire-Rescue, Norfolk police, Virginia Beach fire, Virginia Beach EMS, Virginia Port Authority, the Navy and the airport.
No other information was immediately available.
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