Pilot dies after failing to escape burning aircraft that burst into flames after skidding off runway at Illinois airport
The pilot of a private plane has died after the aircraft ran off the runway and caught fire before taking off.
The incident took place at around 3:40pm at Chicago Rockford International Airport in Illinois, about 90 miles from Chicago.
The aircraft was a small Beechcraft Super King Air 200 twin-prop two-engine plane which can carry up to 12 passengers. The pilot was the only person on board at the time of the crash.
Just minutes after the pilot started to taxi out of the runway, emergency responders were notified that an aircraft was on fire, CBS 2 TV reported.
The aircraft, which can carry up to 12 passengers, was completely gutted by the fire. The pilot, who died after failing to escape, was the only person on board
The aircraft caught fire just before takeoff from Runway One at Chicago Rockford International Airport on Thursday
'First and foremost, we extend our thoughts and prayers to the individual on board and the family,' said airport chief Mike Dunn.
'We also want to thank all of the first responders who were on scene and assisted with the efforts.'
Dunn's deputy, Michelle Cassaro, said firefighters managed to put out the flames within 10 minutes.
'Our crews responded very quickly, and we are pleased with their response,' Cassaro said.
The pilot was not able to escape the burning aircraft, authorities told the Rockford Register Star.
Fire crews raced to the scene to extinguish the blaze. Images from the runway show pieces of the aircraft strewn in the immediate vicinity of the cabin.
Investigators and fire crews are on the scene after the flames were extinguished on Thursday
Airport officials said that the fire was extinguished within 10 minutes of first responders receiving a report about an emergency
A piece of the tail is seen above at the wreckage site in Rockford on Thursday
The Federal Aviation Administration was called to the scene to investigate the cause of the crash
The Federal Aviation Administration announced that it is investigating the cause of the crash.
There were no other people on board the aircraft, which can hold up to 12 passengers.
The Beechcraft Super King Air 200 series, which is now simply known as the King Air after the ‘Super’ was dropped from its name in 1996, was first used in civilian air travel in 1974.
It is an aircraft that is powered by two Pratt & Whitney PT6A-41 turboprop engines that each have a shaft horsepower of 850.
The Beechcraft Super King Air 200 series, which is now simply known as the King Air after the ‘Super’ was dropped from its name in 1996, was first used in civilian air travel in 1974. The above image is a stock photo of the plane
The King Air can reach an altitude of 35,000ft and can carry a maximum takeoff and landing weight of 12,500 pounds.
On a full tank of fuel, it can fly 1,490 nautical miles between takeoff and landing.
The company ended production of the 200 model in 1981. There are a total of 702 King Air 200 planes.
Chicago Rockford, which is located in Winnebago County just a few miles south of the city of Rockford and some 90 miles north of the Windy City, is the third-busiest airport in Illinois behind O'Hare and Midway.
The airport has been used as a hub for parcel delivery company UPS.
