Was Departing Mid-Continent Airport When The Engine Appeared To Fail

A pilot from Lawrence, KS, was fatally injured Tuesday when the FedEx airplane he was flying experienced engine problems just after takeoff and went down in a wheat field near Mid-Continent Airport (KICT) in Wichita.

The pilot was identified as 52-year-old Brian Quinn. He was the only person on board the Cessna 208B Caravan when it went down.

According to television station KAKE, a witness, Wichita resident Rick Thome, said he has been watching airplanes take off and land for years, and often wondered when one might be involved in an accident. "I know when that propeller wasn't turning he was not going to make it to the airport," Thome said. Thome called 911 and went to the accident site to see if he could help Quinn, who was unresponsive. The accident sparked a small grass fire, and Thome was advised by a dispatcher to stay away from the plane and wait for the Sheriff to arrive. 

Quinn reported that he was experiencing engine problems shortly after his 0730 CST departure from KICT. He was attempting to return to the airport to land when the plane went down about two miles short of the runway, according to FAA spokesman Tony Molinaro. He was en route to Garden City, KS, Molinaro said.

A photograph of the accident would indicate that the airplane impacted a tree as it attempted to land in the field. Authorities pronounced Quinn dead at the scene.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov