Three Lost Last Week At VDF

A National Transportation and Safety Board investigator has confirmed what many suspected in last week's crash of a Beechcraft BE36 Bonanza that was transporting a recovering cancer patient and her friend from Tampa, FL back home to Stuart.

WTVT-13 reports the NTSB's Corky Smith confirmed Saturday the Beech struck a glideslope antenna on takeoff from a runway at Vandenburg Airport. The plane's pilot, Harlan Northcott, was flying an Angel Flight mission to transport Patricia Snyder, 49, home from what was scheduled to be her last cancer treatment at a Tampa clinic. Family friend Tyler McLellan, 15, had accompanied her on the trip.

As ANN reported, all three were killed when their plane went down on takeoff from VDF at approximately 3:30 pm July 17.

Smith said the aircraft veered left on takeoff, and its propeller struck the antenna. It is not yet known if the antenna strike was the sole cause of the accident, or the outcome stemming from another problem. The NTSB's final report is due in about a year.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov