Plane Crashes at Wichita Airport After Takeoff, Causes Closures & Delays

A twin-engine Beechcraft B200 Super King Air 200 N52SZ crashed into the Flight Safety building at Wichita Mid-Continent Airport (ICT) around 9:50 a.m. local time Thursday morning, prompting road closures around ICT, a brief closure of the airport and flight delays.

Officials confirmed that flights were delayed and ICT had closed briefly following the incident that left four individuals dead, including the pilot. According to reports from KSN, travelers were required to present a ticket to enter ICT for an undisclosed amount of time in the wake of the crash.

The FAA has confirmed that the small aircraft, piloted by retired FAA controller Mark Goldstein, 53, lost an engine after taking off from ICT. Goldstein was trying to return to the runway when the plane crashed into a nearby two-story building. Everyone inside the building has been accounted for, but the victims have not been removed due to structural concerns with the building.

Ron Blackwell, the Wichita fire chief, described the building as “unstable” and the firefight as “horrific.”

Deputy Chief John Speer with the Wichita Police Department encouraged people to avoid the airport area following the incident, stressing that the police were working with local and federal agencies.

The incident did not cause significant disruption to ICT’s passenger traffic, although roads around ICT and the airport itself were briefly closed. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash.Story developing.

[Photo: Jon Weaver via KSN]