A Reston man has died in a plane crash in the Front Royal area.
According to Virginia State Police, Steven B. Zaboji was flying a single-engine prop plane when he “began experiencing problems and crashed onto private property… near the airport.” The plane caught fire as a result of the crash.
Zaboji, identified by VSP as a 76-year-old Reston resident, died at the scene. He had been a pilot for 55 years, according to an essay he penned for a pilot’s association.
Latest at 11: 1 Dead After Small Plane Crashes in Front Royalhttps://t.co/MwRY6SeGmx pic.twitter.com/dkYjDITO0Z
— Darcy Spencer (@darcyspencer) October 8, 2017
More from a VSP press release, below.
At 1:39 p.m., Saturday (Oct. 7), Virginia State Police Trooper S.R. Marks responded to a report of a plane crash in Warren County.
The Piper Pawnee took off from the Front Royal Airport at approximately 1:35 p.m., Saturday (Oct. 7), with a glider in tow. After the glider safely disconnected, the Piper began experiencing problems and crashed onto private property in the 1700 block of Ridgeway Road near the airport. The impact of the crash caused the plane to catch fire.
The pilot of the Piper, Steven B. Zaboji, 76, of Reston, Va., died at the scene.
The glider safely landed after the crash. No one on the ground was injured in the crash.
The crash remains under investigation.
The FAA and NTSB were notified of the crash, and will respond to the scene Sunday. The NTSB will provide an update on their crash investigation to media at the scene at approximately noon Sunday (Oct. 8).
