Final pieces of 1983 plane crash removed due to unsafe conditions

The final pieces of a plane that crashed near the Blue Ridge Parkway 40 years ago have been removed from the site.

Park officials said the plane, a Cessna 414A, crashed in November 1983 near Waterrock Knob. Both passengers who were on board were killed.

At the time of the crash, the plane’s engines were salvaged but the fuselage, wings and other debris were left behind. The crash site is so remote that National Park Service contractors had to use a helicopter to move the wreckage.

The crash site is on land that was donated to the Blue Ridge Parkway back in 2016. Since then, park officials said they’ve seen a significant amount of visitors who have accessed the site through “unauthorized social trails.” It’s created hiker safety concerns, officials said, because they can get lost or hurt.

Rare or sensitive wildlife in the area can also experience negative effects from social trails, including trampling, erosion, soil compaction and vegetation removal.

Park officials said traffic to the area has increased in large part due to the internet, specifically social media.

“While we understand the interest associated with this site, the resource damage and visitor safety issues presented too great a threat to take no action,” said Blue Ridge Parkway Superintendent Tracy Swartout. “Caring for these special places requires everyone’s cooperation, and we ask that everyone play a role in the protection of this place and not cause any further damage or injury to the resources or themselves by going off trail to find this site.”

Officials said the Waterrock Knob area is culturally significant to the Eastern Band of the Cherokee. It’s also one of the four sites with the highest elevation in the park, where there is a significant amount of rare and sensitive species.

In recent years, land conservationists have focused their efforts on the area.

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