Eric Stephens, 57, of Roswell, Georgia, was killed when a small plane crashed into a wooded area near Gwinnett County Airport in Lawrenceville on Tuesday evening, November 10. A second man aboard the aircraft, identified as Peter Magnuson, survived with injuries that were reported as non-life-threatening. The crash happened as the aircraft was attempting to make an emergency landing after the pilot reported engine trouble.
Emergency crews were called to the area around 5:30 p.m. near the intersection of Winder Highway and Bacchus Drive. The wreckage was eventually located in a wooded area near the 1000 block of Old Athens Road, about one mile southeast of Gwinnett County Airport. What began as an emergency response quickly turned into a recovery operation as firefighters discovered two men trapped inside the damaged aircraft.
Authorities identified the aircraft as a single-engine Velocity 173 F-G. Both occupants were trapped following the impact, leaving firefighters to work their way through the wreckage to reach them. Crews managed to extricate the men, but Stephens did not survive. Magnuson was taken to a hospital for treatment.
Flight records show the aircraft had been in the air for approximately 90 minutes after departing Briscoe Field, also known as Gwinnett County Airport. At some point during the flight, the pilot contacted air traffic control to report problems with the engine and requested permission to make an emergency landing.
The recorded exchange between the pilot and air traffic control captured the seriousness of the situation. An air traffic controller asked whether the pilot was declaring an emergency. The response was direct: “Yes, I’m declaring an emergency.” The pilot also reported that the engine was running rough. Despite the attempt to bring the aircraft down safely, it crashed into the wooded area near the airport. Authorities have not established which of the two men was flying the plane.
Away from the crash site, Stephens was known for his work as the founder of zPaper, a Roswell-based technology company he built over more than 20 years. His company described him as both a mentor and a friend to those who worked alongside him. Following his death, the business expressed deep sadness over the loss and said it would continue serving its customers.
Stephens also had strong ties to his church and the people who knew him there. He was a devoted member of Roswell United Methodist Church, where he mentored men through the church’s men’s ministry and sang in the choir. His death has left members of the congregation mourning someone who played an active role in their church community.
His wife, Cammie, and their two daughters are now facing the loss of a husband and father. The church offered prayers and support for the family as members came to terms with the news. For those who knew Stephens through his business and church, his death represents the loss of someone whose influence extended beyond his professional work.
The circumstances surrounding the crash remain under investigation. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are examining what happened, including the reported engine trouble and the aircraft’s final moments. Investigators have not identified the specific mechanical problem or determined what caused the plane to go down.
The crash occurred in a wooded section of Lawrenceville, in Gwinnett County, northeast of Atlanta. For now, authorities are working to establish exactly what went wrong during the flight and why the emergency landing ended in tragedy.