A devastating airplane crash just outside of Little Rock, Arkansas, claimed the lives of five individuals on Wednesday. The victims were employees of CTEH, an environmental consulting firm, and the incident occurred shortly after their twin-engine plane departed from Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport.
Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Lt. Cody Burk confirmed that the crash site was located several miles south of the airport. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that five people were aboard the Beech BE20 aircraft, which was en route to John Glenn Columbus International Airport in Columbus, Ohio.
The identities of the victims, including the pilot, have not been immediately released. CTEH Senior Vice President Paul Nony issued a statement expressing the company’s profound sadness and requesting thoughts and prayers for the families of the deceased and the entire CTEH team. The employees were reportedly responding to the aftermath of a recent explosion at a metals plant in Ohio.
Alt text: Investigators examine the debris field at the site of a small airplane crash, focusing on the wreckage and scattered airplane parts.
Authorities are investigating the cause of the crash, with the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) leading the inquiry. Weather conditions at the time of the incident included thunderstorms and wind gusts up to 40 mph, as reported by the National Weather Service. Lt. Burk indicated that investigators will consider whether weather played a role in the tragic event.
Local resident Dennis Gordon recounted hearing the wind intensify followed by an explosion. Speaking to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Gordon described subsequent smaller explosions and a large fire at the crash site, painting a vivid picture of the immediate aftermath of the airplane crash near Little Rock. The investigation is ongoing to determine the precise sequence of events and contributing factors that led to this fatal airplane crash in Little Rock.
