Plane heading to Beaumont crashes, killing two
MILACA, MN
The plane departed in the morning from Aitkin, Minn., headed for
Beaumont, Texas. The pilot contacted air-traffic controllers about
10:15 a.m. and reported problems with the flight controls, said
National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Peter Knudson.
"Shortly after that, the aircraft was lost on radar," Knudson
said.
A farmer reported the wreckage in an open field in Milaca, which
is 65 miles north of Minneapolis, about 15 minutes later. Knudson
said there was no post-wreckage fire, though both people on board
were killed. Their names haven't been released.
The plane is registered to TeeMark Corp. in Aitkin. A woman who
answered the phone there said employees were instructed to refer
all questions to the Federal Aviation Administration and hung up.
FAA spokeswoman Elizabeth Isham Cory said the NTSB in leading
the investigation, which could take up to a year.
The National Weather Service said there was fog and light rain
at the time of the crash, with visibility of between 1 and 3 miles.
