The airplane was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain at about 1130 Eastern time; the Commercial pilot and the passenger were fatally injured. Visual conditions prevailed for the flight, which departed the Winchester Regional Airport in Winchester, Va. The airplane came to rest on rural, hilly terrain, owned by a relative of the pilot and who witnessed the accident. He heard the engine sputter, and specifically recalled hearing the engine increase in power, followed by a sudden, total silence. About two to three seconds later, he heard the sounds of an impact, and responded to the accident scene. The witness also noted that on several previous occasions, the pilot had flown past the property in a rented Cessna airplane, and that that all of the previous flights were conducted at an altitude greater than 500 feet agl.
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