FAA: Plane that crashed, killed four people struck hay bale while taking off
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — The Federal Aviation Administration's preliminary report reveals that the plane that crashed and killed four people on Tuesday, struck a haybale while taking off.
Around 1:30 p.m. Oklahoma City emergency crews rushed to the scene of a plane down at Sundance Airport.
"You can see that that the aircraft went all the way off the runway, through the field and through this fence right here before it went into the trees and caught fire," explained McIntyre Law Chopper 4 Pilot, Mason Dunn.
All four passengers onboard were killed in the crash.
The preliminary report from the FAA shows the Beechcraft Bonaza was departing when the left wing struck a hay bale and crash into trees.
"We don't know if it hit the hay bale, it could've had a malfunction, where the throttle got stuck or something. Or it could have done something to the pilot to where the throttle was stuck," said Dunn.
Dunn said the heat also could have played a factor.
"It was 103 degrees that makes the air really thin. It's makes the airplane harder to fly. It will stall easier. Not saying that's what happened, but you had four passengers full of gas on a hot day," said Dunn.
A lot of questions still remain.
"Now, what happened? That's the million dollar question. We don't know, and probably won't know for six months or so," said Dunn.
News 4 has learned some of the passengers on the plane were members of Quail Springs Baptist Church.
We tried to reach out to the church several times, but were told no comment.