NW Atlanta plane crash victim ID'd as Norcross CEO

ATLANTA — One of the people killed in a plane crash in NW Atlanta Tuesday night has been identified.

The Fulton County Medical Examiner's Office identified the man as Peter J. Mallen, 67, of Atlanta, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Mallen, a licensed pilot, was the CEO of Norcross-based Mallen Industries.

Mallen Industries produces “high performance textile products for the industrial, automotive, active wear and intimate apparel industries,” according to the company’s website.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, Mallen Industries was the registered owner of the twin-engine Raytheon 390 Premier I jet.

The name of the second person killed was being withheld Wednesday until relatives could be notified.

The plane went down just after 7 p.m. in the area of the 2200 block of Thomas Road.

Thomas Road  is in the area of Bolton Road, South Cobb Drive and Interstate 285 and the Georgia Power Plant.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the plane had just taken off from Fulton County Airport and was on its way to New Orleans.

Firefighters confirmed to Channel 2 Action News 2 people were killed in the incident.

“Before it even hit, the house shook,” said Drew Hawkins.  “Then I heard the explosion and it shook the house even more.”

Hawkins said he and other neighbors stared in shock as the plane became a huge fireball in the woods, narrowly missing houses.

Neighbors said Tuesday night that the sound of airplanes is constant due to the neighborhood’s proximity to the airport. But this time, something sounded different, almost like a missile, Kevin Crapp said.

“It looked like it was coming straight for our house, and at the last minute, dipped its wings over and it banked really hard right,” Crapp said. “It landed a couple hundred yards away from our house, and I thought it hit a neighbor’s house.”

WSBTV