Six Killed After Plane Crashes Into North Carolina Neighborhood

by Rob Walker | February 1, 2008 at 01:12 pm

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A small twin-engine plane crashed into a neighborhood, landing in the front yard of a home in Surrey County, North Carolina.

There are unconfirmed reports that all six people aboard the plane were killed. No one on the ground was hurt.

A twin-engine plane crashed this morning in Mount Airy, N.C., local police tell the Associated Press.
The wire service says there are reports that six people died in the crash. "We do have have multiple fatalities," Myron Waddell, a supervisor with the Surry County emergency services, tells the Winston-Salem Journal.
The Beechcraft King Air C90A took off from Dallas, Ga., and was attempting to land in Mount Airy when it crashed, AP says.
"Several residents who have lived in this quiet neighborhood for decades said it's the first time they have ever seen an aircraft crash in the subdivision," The Mount Airy News reports on its website.

A twin-engine plane crashed Friday in northwest North Carolina, and federal officials are investigating unconfirmed reports that all six people on board were killed.
Surry County sheriff's officials said the King Air C90A crashed in a neighborhood near the Mount Airy airport around 11:30 a.m. The plane appeared to split in half after crashing into the front yard of a home.

A twin-engine plane has crashed in Surry County, North Carolina and killed all six men aboard.
County officials say the King Air 90 crashed today in a neighborhood near the Mount Airy airport around 11:30 a.m. The Federal Aviation Administration said the plane did not hit any homes and no one on the ground was hurt in the accident.

Just a heads up, if Canadians watched, Mayberry RFD or any of the Andy Griffith shows. Mount Airy is the town the shows were based on. CNN is reporting that the NTSB said the flight was "a business flight," and the plane was a Beechcraft King Air twin-engine turboprop. The FAA shows the plane was registered to Blue Sky Airways Inc. of Dallas, Georgia. my understanding is the passengers were on thier to a hunting trip.

Suddenly this is hitting home as I fund raised for Gov Perdue when I was a Public Relations Chair in Georgia Republican Party

shortly before noon, killing all six on board, at least three of them prominent members of the Georgia Republican Party and friends of Gov. Sonny Perdue.

I will get the rest of the names in a few minutes

Paulding County, Georgia Commissioner Hal Echols.

The Pilot: John Wesley Rakestraw a developer with the same address a s Blue Sky Airways, He held a fund raiser for Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue in the last election cycle.

Steve Simpson is also a developer from Paulding County Georgia.

Robert Butler, Tony Gunter and Frank Ruggiero were also killed: no data found

I went to the Website of the Chairman of the Paulding County Republican Party This is what was posted there.

Six dead in aircrash, including three prominent Paulding men

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Three prominent Paulding Residents are dead in an air crash near Mt. Airy, North Carolina. Among them are post Commissioner Hal Echols, local developer and owner of Raker Construction and Blue Sky Airways, Wesley Rakestraw and local developer Steve Simpson. In addition authorities released the names of Robert Butler, Tony Gunter and Frank Rogerrio. Gunter worked for Raker Construction, Butler was with the Georgian Bank and Rogerrio worked for the Facility Group.

Facts are sketchy but the six are believed to have flown from Cedartown to Mt. Airy on a hunting trip. Bad weather in the area, including a low-level fog, rain and sleet, are believed to have contributed to the wreck of the plane between two homes.

Late Friday afternoon, Chairman Jerry Shearin sent a note to the news media saying "It is with a very heavy heart that I confirm Commissioner Hal Echols was on the flight that crashed today in Mt. Airy, NC. Please keep Matt, Katie, and the Echols family in your thoughts and prayers at this time. Also on board were Wesley Rakestraw and Steve Simpson. Please also keep the Rakestraw and Simpson families in your prayers. I have asked that flags at all County facilities be lowered to half-staff. "

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Six Killed After Plane Crashes Into North Carolina Neighborhood

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