Kansas Highway Patrol Identifies Victims of Plane crash Near Johnson County Airport
The pilot and passenger killed when a small single-engine plane crashed during takeoff from the Johnson County Executive Airport Tuesday have been identified as a 48-year-old Arkansas man and a 43-year-old Texas woman, the Kansas Highway Patrol said.
Jonathan J. Vannatta of Maumelle, Arkansas, who was piloting the 2000 Mooney M20S, and his passenger, Darcy L. Matthews of Belton, Texas, died in the fiery crash shortly after 4 p.m., according to the highway patrol’s preliminary crash report.
Vannatta is listed as a co-owner of the plane, according to the FAA aircraft registry.
The plane had just taken off from the airport at 151st Street and Pflumm Road on Runway 18, heading south. It began to slow and then turned over headed to the ground, according to a statement from the Kansas Highway Patrol.
As the plane descended, it struck several trees before slamming into the ground and bursting into flames in a field east of the runway near the 15600 block of Parkhill Street in Overland Park.
Vannatta and Matthews were found dead inside the aircraft. They were the only ones on board.
Overland Park and Olathe police and fire personnel responded to the crash. The four- to six-passenger craft was on fire when they arrived.
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“When you see the scene, it’s very tragic looking,” Capt. Mike Hall, a spokesman for the Olathe Fire Department said Tuesday evening. “More than likely, they were thinking recovery at the first glance.”
Firefighters extinguished the fire withing 15 to 20 minutes, Hall said.
It was unknown what caused the crash or where the plane was headed, Kansas Highway Patrol trooper Gustavo Ramirez said Tuesday evening. The pilot had not submitted a flight plan, which is not required for all flights.
An investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is expected to arrive Wednesday and will take over the investigation into the crash.
The investigator will document the crash, taking photos and measurements as well as talking to witnesses and gathering air traffic control recordings. The wreckage will then be moved a secured location to be examined further, said Eric Weiss, a spokesman for the NTSB.
A preliminary report is expected to be available in about two weeks, with the final report completed in 18 to 24 months.
The Executive Airport has reopened, Johnson County announced on Twitter shortly before noon Wednesday.
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