PICTURED: Five co-workers killed when a twin-engine plane crashed shortly after takeoff in Arkansas
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Five consultants have been identified as having died when a twin-engine plane crashed shortly after takeoff in Arkansas.
Colleagues working with the Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health were on their way to investigate a deadly explosion at a manufacturing plant in Bedford, Ohio, when the plane crashed Wednesday.
Gunter Beaty, Kyle Bennett, Micah Kendrick, Sean Sweeney and Glenmarkus Walker were identified as the five who died in the crash, according to a CTEH Twitter post that read, “They were valued members of our team and CTEH family.”
The twin-engine Beech BE20 crashed near Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport in Little Rock, Arkansas, shortly after takeoff.
Five consultants to the Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health, who died when their plane crashed in Arkansas, have been identified. Pictured from left to right are Micah Kendrick, Kyle Bennett, Gunter Beaty, Glenmarkus Walker and Sean Sweeney
The twin-engine Beech BE20 crashed near Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport in Little Rock, Arkansas, shortly after takeoff.
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.
“It is with a heavy heart that we acknowledge the passing of our colleagues: Gunter Beaty, Kyle Bennett, Micah Kendrick, Sean Sweeney and Glenmarkus Walker,” the tweet read. ‘They were valued members of our team and the CTEH family.’
Sean Sweeney, 64, was the pilot; gunter Beaty, 23, was a production security data manager; and Glenmarkus Walker, 32, was quick to respond.
Micah Kendrick, 41, was a security supervisor with experience conducting real-time air monitoring during chemical release responses, according to the company’s website.
Kyle Bennett, 36, was a personnel manager with a focus on logistics and has experience responding to crude oil spills, train derailments, chemical spills and other emergency responses, the website said.
Multiple law enforcement agencies responded to the crash, with local reports indicating high winds and thunderstorms in the area at the time.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have since taken over the investigation.
Sean Sweeney was a 64-year-old pilot who was identified as one of the crash victims.
Micah Kendrick, 41, was a security supervisor with experience conducting real-time air monitoring during chemical release responses, according to the company’s website.
Kyle Bennett, 36, was a logistics personnel manager who has experience responding to crude oil spills, train derailments, chemical spills and other emergencies.
Glenmarkus Walker, 32, was quick to respond
Gunter Beaty, 23, was a production safety data manager
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.
Dr. Paul Nony (pictured) is a senior vice president at the Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health and confirmed that five of his employees died in a small plane crash.
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.
Dr 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 their thoughts and prayers.’
The Federal Aviation Administration said the plane was a twin-propeller-engine Beech BE20, which was en route to 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 still unclear what caused the plane crash that killed the five colleagues.
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.
Multiple law enforcement agencies responded to the accident, with local reports indicating high winds and thunderstorms were in the area at the time.
The small twin-engine plane was en route to Ohio when it crashed shortly after takeoff.
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 consultants were en route to investigate a deadly explosion at a manufacturing plant in Bedford, Ohio, when the plane crashed Wednesday. The explosion sent smoke into the sky that could be seen for miles from the damaged factory.
Ambulances were on the scene for I. Schumann & Co., which makes brass and bronze alloys.
The plane was headed for a large explosion at a metal fabrication plant in Bedford, Ohio, which killed one person and injured others. least 13 people.
The explosion in Bedford, Ohio, is about 70 miles northwest of East Palestine, where a toxic train derailed on February 3. It’s just south of Cleveland.
The explosion sent smoke into the sky that could be seen for miles from the damaged factory.
All of the injured were at the scene, falling debris did not affect neighboring businesses, Oakwood Fire Department Capt. Brian DiRocco said.