Authorities have released the name of the pilot killed in a plane crash Monday near Westerly State Airport.
First responders located a single-engine Cessna C172 Skyhawk around noon that had crashed in a field just short of the runway.
The pilot, identified by police as 21-year-old Isaac Seekell, of Charlestown, was taken to Westerly Hospital, where he later died. He was the only person on the plane at the time.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, Seekell was attempting to land at Westerly Airport but had to make an emergency landing.
Police said Seekell was a certified flight instructor. He was reportedly a freshman at Word of Life Bible Institute in New York and played as a goalkeeper on the men’s soccer team, the school’s website states.
An investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board arrived on scene Tuesday to examine the aircraft, which will later be moved to a secure facility for further evaluation.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation by the NTSB and the FAA.
Officials said a preliminary report will be available within 30 days on the NTSB Newsroom website, while a final report containing a probable cause and contributing factors is expected to be released within the next two years.
The Charlestown Ambulance Rescue Service has created a GoFundMe to support Seekell’s family during this difficult and unexpected time.