U.S. Army soldier identified as victim in skydiving plane crash that killed 4

EMANUEL COUNTY, Ga. — Four people were killed when a single-engine plane crashed at an airport in Georgia, officials said.

The pilot and three of the four passengers in the Cessna 182A died when the plane, owned by The Jumping Place Skydiving Center in Statesboro, crashed at the Emanuel County Municipal, about 70 miles south of Augusta, according to Randy Love, the deputy coroner for Emanuel County.

One of the victims was a soldier with the U.S. Army Parachute Team, The Golden Knights, the Army announced on Facebook Sunday.

Aliaksandr "Alex" Bahrytsevich, 31, was off duty when he died.

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"Alex was extremely passionate about the sport of skydiving and always sought opportunities to coach and mentor other members of the team," the Army wrote.

The surviving passenger was airlifted to a trauma center, Love said. All of the passengers were wearing parachutes that had not been deployed, he said.

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The Jumping Place Skydiving Center posted a statement on its Facebook page lamenting the crash.

“Today we have suffered an enormous loss,” the statement says. “ … We've lost loved ones. Please be respectful of loved ones … We've all lost parts of our family.”

The Federal Aviation Authority said the plane crashed around 2p.m Saturday, just after takeoff. The agency said it will investigate the crash and the National Transportation Safety Board will determine the “probable cause of the accident.”

Cox Media Group