Seven people died when a plane ran off the runway on takeoff and burst into flames in a horrific crash last night at Hanscom Field in Bedford, authorities said.
"I'm sorry to report that there were no survivors," said Sharon Williams, director of the airport. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to their families and their loved ones.”
Williams said families were being notified early this morning.
The Gulfstream IV twin-jet plane was headed to Atlantic City when it apparently ran off Runway 11last night at 9:40 and erupted in flames, said Jim Peters, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration.
The airport was closed as police officers and firefighters from Bedford, Lexington and Burlington responded to the scene, along with a hazardous materials team. Towering flames could be seen in a wooded area next to the airfield immediately after the crash, and smoke was still billowing from the wreckage two hours later. Firefighters worked into the night to douse the flames. “I saw a cloud of smoke and flames coming from the plane,” said nearby resident Jeff Patterson. “After that I saw a couple of fire engines go across the flight line to put it out.”
It was a private plane,
according to Massachusetts Port Authority spokesman Richard Walsh. The plane was headed to
Atlantic City International Airport in New Jersey, Peters said. Williams thanked first responders and other authorities at an early morning press conference and then returned to the still active scene. She didn't take any questions. Massport, which operates Hanscom Field, had no information on the cause of the crash, Walsh said. The plane was on property in Bedford, officials said. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash, said Peters, and the NTSB will determine the cause.
see above post for more info; 7 dead