Mallen Industries CEO One of Victims in Business Jet Crash

By Bob Pepalis

One of the two people who died in Tuesday's business jet crash in Fulton County has been identified as Peter J. Mallen, 67, of Atlanta.

The Fulton County Medical Examiner's office is attributed with the identification.

Mallen was the CEO of Norcross-based Mallen Industries, which identifies itself on its website as a market-driven producer of specialty engineered textile products. 

FlightAware, a live flight tracking website, identified a Raytheon 390 fixed-wing, multi-engine plane as having taken off at 7:20 p.m. from Fulton County's Brown Airport on its way to Lakefront Airport in New Orleans, LA. The site listed the plane plane as never having arrived at its destination. The 8-seat, 2-engine plane was registered to Mallen Industries.

Aviation Safety Network reported the plane as impacting the ground 3.8 miles northwest of Atlanta-Fulton County Airport (Brown Field) and being damaged beyond repair. A post-impact fire erupted.

According to Aviation Safety Network, crew contacted air traffic control on departure stating they had a 'problem' and were returning. They declined emergency equipment. The plane was turning right on final to runway 26 when it crashed.

The Fulton County Medical Examiner's Office said it has tentative identifications of the victims of Tuesday night's plane crash, but "further effort is underway to scientifically confirm each person's identity and to locate and notify next of kin."

A press release issued by that office at 1:39 p.m. Wednesday did not offer those tentative identifications, though the AJC has reported a name had been released for the male victim.

Original story, as posted on Buckhead Patch:

Two people died in a plane crash in Northwest Atlanta after 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 17, according to Atlanta Fire Rescue System spokesperson Janet Ward. Both were on the plane.

FAA spokesperson Kathleen Bergen confirmed that a Raytheon 390 Premier I  multi-engine aircraft crashed on Thomas Road in northwest Atlanta at 7:25 pm today, Dec. 17.

She said the preliminary information showed that the flight departed from Fulton County Airport in Atlanta and was destined for New Orleans Lakefront Airport. Two persons were on board.

The aircraft registration will be released after local authorities release the names and conditions of persons on board the aircraft, Bergen said. The aircraft is registered to a metro Atlanta-area company.

Ward said there was no damage to any structure on the ground.

Ward said the investigation will continue by the FAA or National Transportation Safety Board.

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