A Beechcraft 58 Baron similar to this one crashed in Michigan yesterday, killing 4 of its 5 occupants. (Photo by Tom Turner)
Four people were killed on Tuesday afternoon when the small plane they were on crashed near a local airport in northern Michigan, officials said. A teenage boy survived the crash.
The Beechcraft 58 aircraft went down shortly after 5 p.m. local time when it was attempting to take off from Mackinac County Airport in St. Ignace, a city in Mackinac County.
The Mackinac County Sheriff’s Office said the aircraft encountered ‘some form of difficulty’ after becoming airborne, crossed over northbound Interstate 75, and struck the median barrier, flipping over and coming to rest on the shoulder of southbound Interstate 75. No vehicles were involved.
Five people were on board the aircraft, including the pilot. All of those on board, except a 13-year-old boy who was ejected from the aircraft, were pronounced dead on the scene. The boy was taken by Allied EMS to Mackinac Straits Hospital and later airlifted by Northflight EMS to a downstate hospital.
All those on board the plane were related, officials said, who withheld their names pending notification of family.
Paul Fullerton, the airport manager of Mackinac County Airport, called Tuesday’s crash a “tragic” incident. He identified the aircraft as a 1987-build plane that was registered to Tri United Management, Inc. based in Skokie, Illinois.
Calls to Tri United, Inc. were not immediately returned. A company profile online said Tri United Management, Inc. is a private company categorized under Real Estate Developers. It was established in 1967.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will investigate the cause of the crash.
