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UPDATE: Plane Crashes Into Building Near Mid-Continent Airport

Deborah Shaar

NPR audio update at 5:00pm:

Four people died this morning as the result of a fiery crash at Mid-Continent Airport. Aileen LeBlanc from member station KMUW reports.
 
KMUW audio update at 3:52pm:

Four people were killed this morning when a small plane crashed into a building near the Mid-Continent Airport. KMUW's Aileen LeBlanc reports.

42120_103014.mp4

  

Updated at 10:49am on 10/30/14:

A plane has crashed into the FlightSafety International building near Wichita's Mid-Continent Airport. Wichita Fire Chief Ronald Blackwell confirmed that three of the people who died were inside the building when the plane hit. Blackwell said the fourth victim was on the roof of the building and is believed to be pilot Mark Goldstein. All others who were in the building are accounted for. There were five patients from the crash treated at Via Christi Medical Center in Wichita. One remains in critical condition.

The Federal Aviation Administration reports that just before 10 a.m. CDT, the pilot of a twin-engine Beechcraft 200 Super King Air reported losing engine power just after takeoff. The aircraft crashed into the roof of the FlightSafety International building on airport property while attempting to return to the runway. Only the pilot was on the plane. 

Credit Deborah Shaar
It is estimated that 100 people were in the FlightSafety International building at the time of the crash.

Airport officials are trying to confirm the number of people thought to be in the building. Roger Xanders, the director of public safety at the airport, said there are an estimated 100 people thought to be in the building. According to Xanders, most got out safely. 

Credit Google Maps
The location of the FlightSafety International building.

    

The FlightSafety International building is not part of the terminal at Mid-Continent Airport. Flights at the airport have resumed. Xanders said there was a slight delay in scheduled flights, but Mid-Continent Drive is once again open.

Credit Deborah Shaar
FlightSafety employees were evacuated to a nearby field.

FlightSafety employees have been evacuated and were held nearby for a short amount of time before being sent home for the day. 

Lt. James Espinoza of WPD  is asking that any relatives of employees in the Flight 60 building are asked to come down to the airport at 1951 South Airport Road or to call 316-946-4710. That’s where they set up a command post to try and retrieve information from the families of those who work there and to account for all of the people who were inside the building at the time of the plane crash. 

The NTSB sent this tweet out on Thursday.

Textron sent this tweet out following the accident. 

Update at 12:33pm:

DebPlane1.mp4

 
NPR audio update at 11:55am:
 
A small plane crashed into a building near Mid-Continent Airport in Wichita. Four are reported to have been killed and several injured  KMUW's Aileen LeBlanc...

42118_103014.mp4

Update at 11:30am:

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KMUW News is a team of dedicated on-air and digital reporters working to tell the stories of Wichita and its residents.