Jan 2, 2009 12:16 pm US/Central
2 Killed In Joliet Plane Crash
Plane Headed In From Buffalo Crashes On Runway
JOLIET, Ill. (CBS) ―
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The remains of a small plane that crashed at Joliet Regional Airport late Thursday, killing the man and woman onboard.
CBS
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Witnesses said the plane burst into flames upon hitting the runway.
CBS
The man and woman killed in a plane crash Thursday night at the Joliet Regional Airport were flying a home-built aircraft, aviation officials said Friday morning at the scene.
Pam Sullivan, senior air safety specialist with the central regional office of the National Transportation Safety Board, described the plane, a Lancair, as a "very common home-built aircraft" that seats two.
The plane was based out of Madison, Wis., Sullivan said. It was returning from Orlando, Fla., the NTSB said later Friday.
As CBS 2's Joanie Lum reports, the plane crashed at the Joliet Regional Airport, 4000 W. Jefferson St. Rescuers were called in at 8:48 p.m.
The airport does not have a control tower, so investigators are going on a witness account of the crash while they take a look at what's left of the plane.
"We were told that a witness saw the aircraft landing here at the airport, contacted the runway, and then lost control and flipped over," Sullivan said.
A witness said the plane approached the airport without incident, began to land on the runway, then crashed.
"All we know is plane landing from the west, did not negotiate the runway, and burst into flames on impact," said Joliet Deputy Police Chief Patrick Kerr.
The plane did not appear to be in distresss, Kerr said.
"It appears that it struck the ground at too fast a velocity and broke up on impact," Kerr said. "It caused gas burning on the runway, and the fire department put it out."
The victims are tentatively identified as Stuart D. Seffern, 50, of Madison, and his longtime partner, Deborah A. Loiselle, 52, according to the Will County coroner's office. Autopsies are scheduled for Saturday.
On Friday morning, NTSB investigators went out to inspect the damage.
"We'll look at the wreckage, what's left of it; flight control continuity; just bascially if the aircraft was capable of operating the way it should have been," Sullivan said.
Investigators will also look into the flight history of the pilot. Officials could not say Thursday night whether the pilot contacted someone on the ground to report any problems before the crash.
While it was windy Thursday night, weather was not believed to be a factor, officials said.
The Joliet Regional Airport is an uncontrolled field where pilots land at their own discretion. It is used as a fueling stop for smaller planes en route to other destinations, said Bill Reuter, Joliet Regional Airport's line manager.
"It's basically the pilots are responsible for announcing their arrivals and departures, and making sure any other aircraft in the area are aware that they're there," Sullivan said.
In cold and inclement weather, the airport might see 10 airplanes landing or taking off. On a holiday, like Thursday, the airport likely plays host to just two or three aircraft.
FAA spokeswoman Elizabeth Isham Cory said investigations typically take weeks.
The NTSB plans to provide an update on the plane crash at 3 p.m.
CBS 2's Joanie Lum, the Associated Press and the STNG Wire contributed to this report.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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