News

Plane Crashes at Wichita Airport

by Kate Ward

A plane has crashed at Wichita's Mid-Continent Airport, the busiest airport in Kansas Thursday. Early reports claim the aircraft — which is believed to be a small plane, specifically a Hawker King Air — crashed into the airport's flight safety building. According to officials, four people are unaccounted for and five are injured. Four people were killed in the crash, officials say.

As for how the airplane collided with the building, the FAA released a statement offering an explanation:

Just before 10 a.m. Central Time, the pilot of a twin-engine Beechcraft King Air reported losing engine power just after takeoff from Wichita Mid-Continent Airport. The aircraft crashed into a building on airport property while attempting to return to the runway.

The FAA statement also confirmed that investigators are currently looking at the crash scene.

Those nearby the scene say the smoke from the crash could be seen from miles away. Based on the early images that have been released following the collision, that's not surprising — plumes of smoke surrounded the airport while emergency crews descended on the crash site.

Image: KAKEnews/Twitter