Five killed in plane crash were environmental consultants on their way to explosion at metallurgical factory

Five people who died when a small plane crashed shortly after takeoff near the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport in Little Rock, Arkansas, were a group of environmental consultants.

All of the deceased worked at the Center for Poison and Environmental Health and were traveling to Columbus, Ohio, to respond to a recent deadly explosion at a metal fabrication plant in Bedford.

The twin-engine plane they were traveling in crashed around noon Wednesday near a factory about a mile from the airport.

Everyone on the plane, including the pilot, worked at CTEH. The company specializes in environmental data collection and incident management, especially in terms of industrial hygiene and toxicology.

Multiple law enforcement agencies were on scene investigating the accident, and local reports indicated that there were high winds and thunderstorms in the area at the time of the accident.

Dr. Paul Nony, CTEH’s senior vice president, confirmed that the five deceased worked at the company. They were on their way to investigate the recent explosion at I. Schumann & Co, in which the brass and bronze alloys company burst into flames, showering molten metal in the surrounding area and killing a staff member.

Nony told DailyMail.com: ‘We are incredibly saddened to report the loss of our Little Rock colleagues. We ask everyone to keep the families of the lost and the entire CTEH team in your thoughts and prayers.’

Five people have died after a small plane crashed near the Bill and Hillary Clinton Airport in Little Rock, Arkansas. Dr. Paul Nony, senior vice president of CTEH, confirmed that the five deceased worked at the company

Pictured: The fire burning at I. Schumann & Co, in Bedford, Ohio. The metal fabrication company blew up on Monday, killing one worker and injuring many others. It has now been revealed that the five people who died in the small plane crash on Wednesday were actually environmental consultants who were responding to the Bedford blast.

Lt. Cody Burk, a spokesman for the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office, said there were “no survivors” after the plane crash. The FAA is currently responding and investigating the cause of the incident.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the plane was a twin-propeller-engine Beech BE20, which was bound for Columbus International Airport in Ohio when it crashed shortly after takeoff.

A large column of white smoke could be seen rising from the crash site, which was reportedly outside a 3M Co.

It is currently unclear what caused the plane crash that killed the five colleagues.

Steve Mullins, 46, died as a result of the explosion at the Northeast Ohio business, which manufactures brass and bronze alloys. All five people aboard the plane Wednesday died on their way to investigate the explosion that killed Mullins.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the plane was a Beech BE20 twin-prop engine. The plane in the photo is not the plane involved in the incident on Wednesday.

Authorities noted that the weather in the area had been severe, which was hampering their immediate investigations into the crash.

According to Arkansas Storm Team Meteorologist Pat Walker, the weather around the airport had seen significant wind gusts at the time of the crash.

The National Weather Service said a line of thunderstorms had been moving through the area, including 40-mph wind gusts. The Pulaski Sheriff’s Office said it is investigating whether weather was a factor in the incident.

The twin-engine plane crashed around noon on Wednesday.

Authorities confirmed that there were no survivors after the shipwreck

Witness Dennis Gordon told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that he was standing nearby when he heard a large explosion after high winds blew into the area.

He said the initial explosion was followed by several other smaller explosions, starting a fire and a large plume of smoke.

“It was just red, then it starts to turn black and there’s a burning smell,” Gordon said.

The witness added that a large amount of smoke filled the sky after the accident, with fire crews quickly on the scene to extinguish the fire.

The Little Rock Police Department has confirmed that the accident investigation will be handled by Pulaski County.

The Little Rock Fire Department, the FAA, and several other federal and state agencies were also on the scene.

The National Transportation Safety Board will also reportedly arrive at the crash site on Wednesday afternoon as authorities continue to investigate what caused the tragedy.

The small twin-engine plane was en route to Ohio when it crashed shortly after takeoff.

Lt. Cody Burk, a spokesman for the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office, said authorities are still working to determine the cause of the plane crash.