Four Killed When Private Plane Filled with “Smoke” Crashes
Four men were killed and one woman seriously injured when their 1968 Cessna model 401 aircraft crashed into a Kansas cornfield this month. All five were on their way to a May 2012 Christian youth rally in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
The pilot, Luke Sheets, 23, and passengers Garrett Coble, 29, Stephen Luth, 22, and Austin Anderson, 27, were all taken to a Wichita, Kansas hospital where they died. A fifth passenger, 22-year-old Hannah Luce survived the plane crash, but is being treated for burns on her arms and legs.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reported that pilot Sheets was able to land the plane, but it hit a tree on landing, which probably ignited the fuel in the tanks and caused the deaths and injury.
The survivor of the crash, Hannah Luce, was able to provide some details to her family about the events leading up to the tragedy. Her family has said that the plane was cruising at 10,000 feet when the air in the cabin became chilly. When Sheets turned on the heater, “toxic fumes or smoke were coming out”. Luce reportedly said that it was very difficult to breathe.
According to pilot Luke Sheets father, Craig, his son may have been “on the edge of consciousness” when he landed the plane. Craig Sheets, a retired Northwest Airlines pilot and U.S. Air Force pilot in Vietnam, believes that a faulty heating system caused the incident.
The NTSB will examine the plane’s heater to determine if this was the cause. Craig Sheets said, “As soon as you get a few lung-fulls of that stuff, you are incapacitated.”
The FAA has cited at least 12 service difficulty reports involving Cessna private aircraft over the last ten years. Several of these reports included smoke or fumes in the cabin. Two resulted in emergency landings. In a 2007 FAA report, similar problems were noted, “During operation of combustion heater, the pilot noted jet fuel odor and smoke in cabin. Emergency was declared and aircraft landed at nearest airport”.
Since graduating magna cum laude in 2005 from the University of Memphis School of Law, Thomas has helped make a difference in the lives of victims of serious personal injury, wrongful death, and professional negligence. Thomas has extensive trial experience in both state and federal court. Among other victories in the courtroom, Thomas obtained several impressive jury verdicts and settlements
Read more about Thomas R. Greer