UPDATE: Small plane crashes while taking off at Gwinnett airport

A small plane crashed while taking off at the Gwinnett County Airport on Sunday afternoon, officials said.

The two occupants of the plane were able to exit safely before the plane caught fire at about 12:40 p.m., according to a statement from the Gwinnett County Department of Fire and Emergency Services.

The occupants, an instructor and a student, were not seriously injured, the fire department said. One was evaluated and released by paramedics at the scene, and the other said they were not injured.

The Cessna 172 “experienced a nose dive and hard landing” while taking off from Runway 7 at Briscoe Field, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement.

The plane went up in flames, but crews put out the fire shortly after 1 p.m., officials said. The aircraft was deemed a total loss.

The crash occurred just a day after another small plane crashed in Paulding County, killing the pilot.

Credit: Gwinnett County Department of Fire and Emergency Services

Credit: Gwinnett County Department of Fire and Emergency Services

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