Investigators Looking For Others Who Flew On Bonanza

Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board wish to speak with passengers who flew onboard a Beech Bonanza that later crashed, before the start of the Wings and Wheels air show at the Shelby County Airport this weekend.

Birmingham, AL television station FOX6 reports a preliminary investigation of the accident found no evidence of fuel onboard the wrecked plane. Additionally, witnesses told authorities the plane's engine sounded as if it was sputtering as it took off.

As Aero-News reported, the plane was able to take off... but then banked sharply to the right, and the nose pitched down. The plane remained largely intact as it impacted the ground, but all three persons onboard the plane were killed.

The pilot, Clayton Reuse, was giving a ride to passenger John Smitherman and his 11-year-old son, Landon, when the plane went down. The rides were part of a fundraising program offered by the Birmingham Aero Club, for the Southern Museum of Flight, before the start of Saturday's air show.

Investigators want to ask other passengers who flew on the plane if they saw the pilot fuel the aircraft... or if they noticed anything unusual about their flights.

**   Report created 9/26/2006   Record 4
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IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 8148R        Make/Model: BE33      Description: 33 Debonair, Bonanza (E-24)
  Date: 09/23/2006     Time: 1800

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Fatal     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Substantial

LOCATION
  City: ALABASTER   State: AL   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  ACFT ON TAKEOFF, LOST POWER AND CRASHED INTO THE AIRPORT PROPERTY FENCE,
  THE THREE PERSONS ON BOARD WERE FATALLY INJURED, SHELBY COUNTY AIRPORT,
  ALABASTER, AL

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   3
                 # Crew:   1     Fat:   1     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Pass:   2     Fat:   2     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: NOT REPORTED

OTHER DATA
  Activity: Unknown      Phase: Take-off      Operation: OTHER

  Departed: ALABASTER, AL               Dep Date:    Dep. Time:     
  Destination:                          Flt Plan:              Wx Briefing: 
  Last Radio Cont: 
  Last Clearance: 

  FAA FSDO: BIRMINGHAM, AL  (SO09)                Entry date: 09/25/2006

FMI: www.ntsb.gov