Four Dead in King Air Crash into FlightSafety Wichita Learning Center

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Key Takeaways:

  • A Beechcraft King Air crashed into the FlightSafety Citation Learning Center at Wichita Mid-Continent Airport after its pilot reported losing an engine shortly after takeoff.
  • The accident resulted in four fatalities and at least five injuries inside the building, which houses classrooms and simulator bays.
  • The pilot, the sole occupant of the plane, was attempting to return to the airport when the aircraft impacted the building just before 10 a.m. local time.
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A Beechcraft King Air crashed into the FlightSafety Citation Learning Center at Wichita Mid-Continent Airport this morning, killing four people inside the building and injuring at least five others.

The pilot of the King Air, who was the only person onboard, reported losing the left engine shortly after takeoff and radioed that he was returning to the airport, according to an audio recording on LiveATC.net.

Video posted on the Wichita Eagle‘s website showed flames and thick black smoke pouring out of the building, which houses numerous classrooms and simulator bays. The King Air, a 1999 Model B200, crashed through the roof of the building just before 10 a.m. local time, according to reports.

As many as five others inside the building remained unaccounted for at press time, while the rest were able to escape unharmed, according to local police officials. Three of the injured were in critical condition, according to local news reports.

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