Small plane crashes after take-off in South Dakota, killing 4

[News_Editor]

Small plane crashes after take-off in South Dakota, killing 4

2011-12-10 20:20:56 GMT+7 (ICT)

SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA (BNO NEWS) -- Four people were killed on Friday afternoon when a small plane crashed near an airport in the U.S. state of South Dakota, federal officials said on Saturday. There were no survivors.

The accident happened at around 2.24 p.m. local time when a Cessna 421-C, which is a small two-engine plane, crashed about a mile (1.6 kilometers) east of Joe Foss Field in Sioux Falls, the county seat of Minnehaha County. Four people were on board.

Cell phone footage shot by witnesses shortly after the crash showed parts of the aircraft on fire, although most of the cabin appeared to be intact. By the time the fire had been extinguished by emergency services, only the aircraft's tail was left.

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) spokesman Tony Molinaro said all four people on board the aircraft were killed. FAA records showed the 1975-built plane was registered to S & S Aviation, LLC out of Ipswich in South Dakota.

It was not immediately known what may have caused the accident, which occurred shortly after the plane took off from Joe Foss Field. "We'll be starting an investigation," Molinaro said. "However, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will be in charge of the investigation and we will be giving our information over to them."

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