2 killed in plane crash at DuPage Airport in West Chicago
A small plane crashed Wednesday afternoon at DuPage Airport in the city of West Chicago.
The FAA and DuPage Airport officials said a twin-engine Piper PA-30 plane crashed shortly after taking off from runway 20 at DuPage Airport around 1:50 p.m.
Two people on board the plane were pronounced dead at the scene.
Hours after the crash, investigators continue to sift through the wreckage. It's unclear what caused this crash.
"We were one of the last to land, and we saw the wreckage as we were taxing back to the hanger and I said it didn't look good over there," said pilot Garald Gary.
Gary and Allan Goldstein landed at DuPage Airport just after the Piper PA-30 crashed.
"Once we landed, we started hearing the tower saying the airport is closed," Goldstein said.
The airport remained partially closed for much of the evening.
"Very sad this close to Christmas and everything else that's happened this last four or five days," Susan Hultgren said.
The National Transportation Safety Board will begin its investigation on Thursday morning. The pilot, the aircraft, and the weather conditions will be the primary focus for investigators
"The reason we investigate these accidents ... is to prevent recurrence," said Benjie Coleman.
Coleman, a former NTSB investigator and retired FAA inspector, said the twin Comanche is an aging fleet — well into its classic era.
"We are going to expect to see a lot more maintenance-related accidents just because things are wearing out," he said.
Coleman said investigators will likely try to determine if power issues contributed to the crash.
"If there was a power issue and if it was not handled properly, it will be rather apparent," he said.
The NTSB will have its initial crash report done in the next 30 days, but the final report could take up to two years.
The identities of those on board have yet to be released by the medical examiner.