HAYWOOD COUNTY, N.C. — After nearly 40 years, wreckage from a plane crash where two people died was removed.
The remains of a Nov. 24, 1983 plane crash were taken away from Blue Ridge Parkway near Waterrock Knob in western North Carolina on Tuesday.
National Park Service officials said safety concerns were the main reason for the removal.
"The site has seen a high volume of visitors accessing the wreckage via unauthorized social trails, causing concerns for the safety of hikers who can get lost and injured, as well as severe damage to rare and sensitive species," Blue Ridge National Park said on Instagram.
Many tourists have trekked out to the crash site since the land it sits on was donated to the Blue Ridge Parkway in 2016.
There were no survivors when the Cessna 414A plane crashed in November 1983. The plane's pilot and one passenger both died.
The plane departed from West Chicago and was headed for Sylva, NC, roughly 20 miles from the crash site, according to an NTSB report.
Inclement weather which included cloudy and rainy conditions contributed to the crash, according to the NTSB.
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