07/31/08 DISC: MN, IA, WI, IL

[Bart_Comstock]

It appears a plane has been downed in the derecho, resulting in 8 deaths.

A small plane crashed shortly after 9:30 this morning at Owatonna Degner Regional Airport in southern Minnesota while trying to land, killing at least seven and possibly nine people.

The small plane was a Raytheon Hawker 800 owned by charter firm East Coast Jets Inc. and had flown in from Atlantic City, NJ to Owatonna, MN. According to one eyewitness who watching the plane make its final approach and is a retired pilot, "the plane making its final approach, and it appeared nothing was wrong. We'd just had a lot of wind, but it had calmed down a bit."

http://www.startribune.com/local/26140404.html?location_refer=Homepage:highlightModules:1
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN3133548120080731
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN3133548120080731

 

[Jarrod Cook]

From what I read, the storm was long gone and the derecho was most likely not a factor.

Ayers, 59, said the early morning storm was no longer a factor at the time of the crash. "The wind wasn't blowing; the storm was gone

 

[rdale]

Winds were pretty light at the time, storm had moved on about an hour earlier.

NOUS53 KMPX 311757
OAVMPX

FORENSIC SERVICES MANAGER (W/OM113)
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
C/O NOAA MESSAGE CENTER
SUITLAND, MARYLAND 20910

INFO: CENTRAL REGION HEADQUARTERS
W/CR1X3

ALPHA CALL SIGN IN AIR: ECJ81 TAIL NUMBER: N818MV??
AIRCRAFT TYPE: H250 BRAVO

BRAVO OWATONNA, MINNESOTA NEAR AIRPORT (OWA) AT APPROXIMATELY
1500Z (10 AM CDT) THURSDAY JULY 31, 2008.

CHARLIE CRASHED ON APPROACH, 10 ABOARD, 6 FATALITIES CONFIRMED (POSSIBLY MORE).

DELTA METAR KOWA 311515Z AUTO 22012KT 10SM VCTSRA SCT021 BKN037 BKN050 18/17
A2986 RMK AO2 P0002 LTG DSNT E THRU SW

METAR KOWA 311455Z AUTO 17006KT 10SM RA SCT018 SCT029 BKN037 19/17 A2983
RMK AO2 P0009 LTG DSNT E THRU S



ECHO KRST 311341Z 311412 30012KT 4SM -SHRA SCT005 BKN025CB
TEMPO 1415 32035G50KT 3/4SM +TSRA BR SCT001 OVC010CB
FM1700 12012KT P6SM VCSH BKN030CB
FM2100 22008KT P6SM BKN040
FM0000 26008KT P6SM VCTS BKN035CB
FM0300 33006KT P6SM SCT250
TEMPO 0812 4SM BR

 

[Bart_Comstock]

I wonder how much water was on the runway at the time and if it could have possibly hydroplaned or if enough was present that the plane's minimum stopping conditions exceeded the length of the strip as a result of the conditions.