2 killed in Maine training flight crash identified as student pilot and instructor

LITCHFIELD, Maine (AP) — Authorities identified the two people killed in a Maine plane crash as a flight instructor and student.

The Beechcraft cargo plane crashed in a field in the town of Litchfield on Tuesday. Federal authorities are investigating the cause of the crash.

Authorities said the crash happened during a training exercise. According to police, Jumaane Omar Stanley Melville, a 37-year-old student pilot from St. Petersburg, Florida, was flying the plane with instructor pilot James Shepherd-Kegal, 69, of North Yarmouth, the Bangor Daily News reported.

The National Transportation Safety Board has said a preliminary report about the crash will likely be available in two to three weeks. The plane crashed near a small airport in Litchfield, not far from the state capital, Augusta.