Make New York Post a Preferred Source A Georgia business founder was killed in a small plane crash that left another man hospitalized after the pilot reported engine troubles.
Eric Stephens, 57, was killed after the plane crashed into the woods just one mile from Gwinnett County airport at around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, FOX 5 reported.
Stephens, the founder of the Georgia health technology company zPaper, was one of two people on board the Velocity-173 FG aircraft – a single-engine plane that can carry up to four people. Peter Magnuson, who was identified as the other person on board, survived.
Eric Stephens, founder of health technology company zPaper, died Tuesday after a single-engine plane crash near Gwinnett County Airport. FOX 5 The plane had been airborne for around 90 minutes when the pilot reported a “rough engine,” according to audio obtained by Atlanta News First. It’s unclear who was at the controls.
“It looks like we’re going in the trees,” the aviator said, moments before the crash.
Meanwhile, witnesses told the outlet how they saw what looked like a fireball hurtle towards the ground.
“Me and my oldest daughter went out and looked up, and we could see an airplane and the back part of it on fire,” Jenny Constantino, who lives around 20 miles from the crash site, told ANF.
Stephens, 57, was killed when the Velocity-173 FG plane went down in a wooded area shortly after the pilot reported engine trouble. Handout “So, we just kind of watched, and you could see it going down.”
Stephens died at the scene while Magnuson was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of our founder, Eric Stephens, Ph.D.,” a company spokesperson said after his body was positively identified by medical examiners.
“Eric built zPaper over 20 years and was a mentor and friend to everyone here.”
