Married Couple Killed in Plane Crash on Massachusetts Highway

A tragic accident occurred when a small aircraft crashed onto a highway during morning rush hour, resulting in the deaths of a married couple. The victims, Thomas Perkins, 68, and his wife Agatha, 66, from Middletown, Rhode Island, were found deceased inside the wreckage of the plane, which crashed on I-195 in Dartmouth amid 55 mph wind gusts.

The plane, part of the Air Charity Network, appeared to have taken off without a flight plan, and it seems the pilot did not inform the airport of their intentions or the number of passengers onboard. Authorities suspect the aircraft was attempting to land at New Bedford Regional Airport at the time of the crash.

The couple was en route to Kenosha, Wisconsin, flying a single-engine fixed-wing aircraft registered to the Air Charity Network, an organization that provides free air transportation for patients traveling to specialized healthcare facilities. However, representatives from regional branches confirmed the aircraft was not scheduled for any organized flights, and the exact circumstances remain unclear.

Photos from the scene show the charred remains of the SOCATA TBM 700 plane, with first responders working in the grassy median. The aircraft burst into flames upon impact with the ground. An unidentified woman involved in the crash was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries after her vehicle was nearly hit.

The aircraft, owned by Easton Air LLC, was registered with the FAA, and both the company and the Air Charity Network are based in Rhode Island. The cause of the crash is still under investigation, but it occurred during severe weather conditions caused by a storm passing through the northeastern US.

Due to the ongoing government shutdown, the Federal Aviation Administration has not released further details about the incident.