WICHITA, Kan. — Four people, including the pilot, have been killed and others are hurt after a plane crashed into a building at Wichita's Mid-Continent Airport.
Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Tony Molinaro says a twin-engine Beechcraft King Air 200 reported losing engine power just after takeoff around 9:50 a.m. Thursday.
The plane crashed into the roof of a building shortly after declaring an aircraft emergency. The plane hit the north building of FlightSafety International Cessna pilot training center, located at 1851 Airport Road. More than 100 people, employees and visitors, were inside the building when it happened.
The crash ignited what Wichita Fire Chief Ronald D. Blackwell described as a "horrific" fire. It led to a two-alarm fire at the building, which took some time for firefighters to get under control. Part of the building also collapsed.
The Wichita Fire Department confirmed that four people died and five others were hurt. Everyone else has been accounted for, after an initial report of up to four people missing.
Ron Ryan, formerly of Ryan International Airlines, told KAKE's Chris Frank that the pilot is among those dead. Family identified him as 53-year-old Mark Goldstein, a longtime Wichitan, contract pilot and retired air traffic controller.
Ryan said that the King Air had recently been inspected, and that Goldstein was ferrying the plane for its new owner. The 1999 King Air B200 was recently sold by Beechcraft, and was en route to Mena, Arkansas. Rose Aircraft Services in Mena said the plane was coming for painting and interior refurbishing.
As of Thursday, the identities of the other three who died have not been released, but city officials said two were from Wichita and the other was from another country. They were found inside a flight simulator in the building. Investigators are still working to notify family members.
Those victims have not been removed due to structural concerns with the building. Crews said the crash impacted the structure's north side, which houses four flight simulators. They were able to search three of those rooms, but are unable to get into the fourth due to collapse. Heavy equipment and a structural engineer will be needed to access that area. Additional equipment is expected to arrive on Friday to help remove portions of the building.
Those who were injured were taken to Via Christi St. Francis Hospital. As of Friday morning, Scott Mans, 39, is in serious condition. The four others were treated and released Thursday.
City of Wichita officials have created a hotline for crash witnesses, and those who are trying to locate family members. That number is (316) 946-4710.
Wichita Police are asking that other residents avoid the area unless they have a flight to catch.
Responding agencies include the Wichita Fire and Police Departments, Mid-Continent Public Safety Department, Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office, Kansas Highway Patrol and the FBI. The NTSB arrived on scene Thursday evening to assist with the investigation.
http://www.kake.com/home/headlines/Mid-Continent-plane-crash-280929562.html
Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Tony Molinaro says a twin-engine Beechcraft King Air 200 reported losing engine power just after takeoff around 9:50 a.m. Thursday.
The plane crashed into the roof of a building shortly after declaring an aircraft emergency. The plane hit the north building of FlightSafety International Cessna pilot training center, located at 1851 Airport Road. More than 100 people, employees and visitors, were inside the building when it happened.
The crash ignited what Wichita Fire Chief Ronald D. Blackwell described as a "horrific" fire. It led to a two-alarm fire at the building, which took some time for firefighters to get under control. Part of the building also collapsed.
The Wichita Fire Department confirmed that four people died and five others were hurt. Everyone else has been accounted for, after an initial report of up to four people missing.
Ron Ryan, formerly of Ryan International Airlines, told KAKE's Chris Frank that the pilot is among those dead. Family identified him as 53-year-old Mark Goldstein, a longtime Wichitan, contract pilot and retired air traffic controller.
Ryan said that the King Air had recently been inspected, and that Goldstein was ferrying the plane for its new owner. The 1999 King Air B200 was recently sold by Beechcraft, and was en route to Mena, Arkansas. Rose Aircraft Services in Mena said the plane was coming for painting and interior refurbishing.
As of Thursday, the identities of the other three who died have not been released, but city officials said two were from Wichita and the other was from another country. They were found inside a flight simulator in the building. Investigators are still working to notify family members.
Those victims have not been removed due to structural concerns with the building. Crews said the crash impacted the structure's north side, which houses four flight simulators. They were able to search three of those rooms, but are unable to get into the fourth due to collapse. Heavy equipment and a structural engineer will be needed to access that area. Additional equipment is expected to arrive on Friday to help remove portions of the building.
Those who were injured were taken to Via Christi St. Francis Hospital. As of Friday morning, Scott Mans, 39, is in serious condition. The four others were treated and released Thursday.
City of Wichita officials have created a hotline for crash witnesses, and those who are trying to locate family members. That number is (316) 946-4710.
Wichita Police are asking that other residents avoid the area unless they have a flight to catch.
Responding agencies include the Wichita Fire and Police Departments, Mid-Continent Public Safety Department, Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office, Kansas Highway Patrol and the FBI. The NTSB arrived on scene Thursday evening to assist with the investigation.
http://www.kake.com/home/headlines/Mid-Continent-plane-crash-280929562.html