Connecticut police release names of plane crash victims

EAST WINDSOR, Conn. (AP) - Police have released the names of the two people killed in a plane crash in Connecticut last week.

The victims of the Tuesday crash in East Windsor were identified as 61-year-old Robert Plourde, of Ellington, and 51-year-old George Janssen II, of Vernon.

The aircraft crashed in the woods shortly after taking off from privately-owned Skylark Airport.

The 1946 Luscombe Silvaire A8 was found nose down on the ground in a wooded area with both victims inside. Autopsies are being performed.

According to records, Plourde owned the aircraft and was believed to be the pilot. His family in a statement said he was “a loving husband and a tremendous father who had an affinity for flying.”

The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the cause.