Three killed in crash of small plane in Norfolk, Virginia

By John Clarke WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Three people were killed when a small plane crashed on Wednesday on its approach to an airport in Norfolk, Virginia, officials said. The propeller-driven plane, a Mooney M20, lost contact with Norfolk International Airport about two miles out from its approach over the Chesapeake Bay at about 4:30 a.m. EST, U.S. Coast Guard spokesman Nate Littlejohn said. Rescuers searched the Norfolk area, about 200 miles south of Washington, and found the crash site some 300 yards from the airport in the Norfolk Botanical Gardens, Littlejohn said. The bodies of the pilot and two passengers were recovered at the crash site in the Enchanted Forest section of the 155-acre property, Virginia State Police said in a statement. The plane clipped the top of a tree on its descent to the Norfolk airport, flipped over and landed upside down, the statement said. Police did not identify the victims, pending notification of relatives. The crash is under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration. (Additional reporting by Ian Simpson; Editing by Ellen Wulfhorst, Bill Trott and Eric Beech)