Plane Crash Near Boston Kills 7

Late Saturday night, a plane crash killed seven people, including the co-owner of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The private plane crashed as it took off from Hanscom Field near Boston, exploding into a fireball midair. The plane was reportedly en route to Atlantic City. There were no survivors.

Among the victims were Lewis Katz, co-owner of the Inquirer , and the wife of a New Jersey borough commissioner. The commissioner said that Katz had invited his wife to an education-related function in the Boston area. "We'll all deeply mourn the loss of my true friend and fellow investor in ownership of the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Daily News and Philly.com," H.F. Lenfest, Katz's business associate, told the Inquirer. Just four days prior, Katz and Lenfest had gained control of the media company that owns the Inquirer by buying out the other owners for $88 million.

The names of the other victims have not been released, nor do officials yet know what caused the fiery crash. A Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson did say that the plane "apparently ran off Runway 11" at the field, and witnesses report hearing an explosion and seeing a fireball about 60 feet in the air shortly after takeoff. The National Transportation Safety Board will conduct further investigation. Meanwhile, Hanscom Field was closed after the crash.