One person is dead after a small plane crashed Tuesday near Fredericksburg, Virginia.
The small plane, a Montana Coyote, crashed at 11:05 a.m. Tuesday near Shannon Airport. The only occupant, 78-year-old Rowland Babcock Jr., of Ruther Glen, Virginia, died as result of the crash.
The single-engine, two-seat plane went down at the Greenline Service Corporation, a tractor dealer across the street from the airport.
“I can see where the plane … a single-engine, home-built, short takeoff and landing aircraft, and it is crumpled at the end of the parking lot around a lot of the tractor equipment,” WTOP’s Jimmy Alexander reported from the scene.
“As I was standing here I just watched a plane fly over, and I guess that the landing path that they fly right over this parking lot, all the time. The airport is literally across the street from this John Deere tractor store,” Alexander said.
The National Transportation Safety Board said in a post on X it was investigating the crash. The Federal Aviation Administration has also been notified, Virginia State Police said.
Tuesday afternoon, the Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office said in a post on social media there was a large emergency personnel presence near Shannon Airport.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
