Four Killed In Twin-Engine Crash In Iowa Snowstorm
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Four Killed In Twin-Engine Crash In Iowa Snowstorm
Monday, 19 February 2007
Sources: Aero-News.net; RadioIowa.com
FAA officials were on the scene this weekend of the site of a crash of a 1977 Cessna 340A that killed four people southeast of the Council Bluffs (IA) airport Friday.
The Cessna was last confirmed to be three to four miles southeast of Council Bluffs when it disappeared from radar.
Sgt. Sam Arkfeld of the Pottawattamie County Sheriff's Office confirmed Saturday morning that the fourth body had been found; earlier Saturday, the FAA's Tony Molinaro confirmed that three bodies had been recovered and a search was underway for a fourth person.
The flight originated from Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport in Bentonville, Ark., and was registered to Color Ink of Council Bluffs, according to Molinaro.
One witness reported seeing the plane go down at 9:30 p.m. and saw an explosion and flames.
According to the National Weather Service, a fast-moving winter storm was moving into the area when the plane went down. That storm brought wind gusts of more than 50 miles per hour, snow and poor visibility.
Federal investigators were not able to locate the crash site for about 90 minutes due to snow and wind conditions. When a four-wheel-drive vehicle became stuck in a field, a local resident's tractor was used to gain access to the crash site.
Pottawattamie County Sheriff Jeff Danker says identification of the victims' bodies is taking time because their remains were badly damaged. Danker says the body that was likely the pilot's remained in the wreckage and was badly burned.
The Omaha World Herald identified the pilot as 51-year-old Steve Revord of Omaha.
Color Ink of Council Bluffs is owned by Dallas Johnson. Johnson's daughter, Shawn Sorenson Peters, and company co-workers were reportedly on board. The family operates a wholesale greenhouse business.
The three victims outside of the aircraft had suffered so much trauma, the medical examiner could not make a positive identification.
Danker says the names of the victims are being withheld until the State Medical Examiner confirms their identities using dental records. He says they made contact with the family members Saturday to get their loved ones' dental records.
It could be today or tomorrow before the results are made available once all the records are turned in. The FAA says the pilot reported trouble south of the airport. Danker says both the FAA and NTSB were on the scene Saturday investigating the crash, but it was too soon to determine why the aircraft went down.
Danker says that the snowstorm definitely could have played a role in the tragedy. Danker says he talked to another pilot who landed about a half an-hour prior to the crash. The pilot indicated the icing conditions were "pretty bad." But at the same time, Danker says other planes were landing while they were searching the crash site.
At least one witness has come forward who saw the plane go down. Troy Hendrick was outside his Council Bluffs house and saw the plane explode into a ball of flames. Hendrick says "The sky, the ground, everything was just lit up like the sun was out."
Hendrick says it happened so fast, there was no way anyone could have helped the victims.
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