Pilot Reported Engine Trouble

ANN REALTIME UPDATE 11.14.06 1515 EST: There is new information related to the Monday night crash of a Cessna 303 Crusader in LaPorte County, IN, south of the city of South Bend.

The CFO at Two Rivers Marketing -- which had hired the aircraft -- says the pilot of the chartered piston twin did issue a distress call before the aircraft crashed just before 7:00 pm Monday.

"They were experiencing some engine problems," Brian Jones told the Des Moines Register.

Authorities have also released the names of all five victims of the accident. Two Rivers employees Tom Dunphy, Leslie O'Bannon, Eric Jacobs, and Josh Trainor were flying back to Des Moines, IA after a business trip to South Bend. Pilot John Trewet had agreed to fly them on the day-long trip.

Original Report

Authorities have not yet released the names of five persons killed Monday night, when the Cessna 303 Crusader they were on went down shortly after takeoff from the South Bend (IN) Regional Airport.

Authorities say fog in the area may have contributed to the crash.

The FAA says there were no signs of trouble before the aircraft disappeared from radar about 10 miles south of the airport.

The plane (file photo of type, below) had been chartered by Two Rivers Marketing in Des Moines, IA to fly four of its employees from Ankeny, IA to South Bend and back.

The plane's flight plan listed four men and one woman onboard.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 611BB        Make/Model: C303      Description: T303 Crusader
  Date: 11/14/2006     Time: 0103

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

LOCATION
  City: SOUTH BEND   State: IN   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  ACFT ON CLIMBOUT, LOST CONTACT AND CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, THE
  FOUR PERSONS ON BOARD WERE FATALLY INJURED, 7 MILES FROM SOUTH BEND, IN

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   4
                 # Crew:   1     Fat:   1     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Pass:   3     Fat:   3     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: SPECI 22005KT 5SM 04/02 A3000

OTHER DATA
  Activity: Industrial Special      Phase: Climb      Operation: OTHER

  Departed: SOUTH BEND, IN              Dep Date:    Dep. Time:     
  Destination: ANKENY, IO               Flt Plan: IFR          Wx Briefing: 
  Last Radio Cont: 
  Last Clearance: 

  FAA FSDO: INDIANAPOLIS, IN  (GL11)              Entry date: 11/14/2006

FMI: www.ntsb.gov