Saratoga Down Near Wheeling

Five people are reported dead in the crash of a Piper PA-32 near the Wheeling-Ohio County Airport in West Virginia. KDKA-TV reports the aircraft, registered to the Commercial Bag Company of Illinois, left Normal (IL) late Sunday night and was believed to be headed for Wheeling.

The television station reports the tower at Wheeling-Ohio County lost contact with the aircraft at approximately 0130 local time Monday morning. A search crew found the wreckage at about 1030 Monday morning.

State Police Sgt. Dennis Johnson told KDKA that the Saratoga (file photo of type, below) was flying in fog, but that no one was sure that weather had been a factor in the accident.

FAA Preliminary Accident Report

IDENTIFICATION
 Regis#: 7710M    Make/Model: PA32   Description: PA-32 Cherokee Six, Six, Saratoga, Turbo
 Date: 07/19/2004   Time: 0310

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

LOCATION
 City: WHEELING          State: WV  Country: US

DESCRIPTION
 ACFT CRASHED IN A VACANT FIELD 8 MI SW OF WHEELING OHIO COUNTY ARPT, WV
 (HLG) FOR UNKNOWN REASONS. LOCAL AUTHORITIES REPORTED 5 FATALITIES AND
 SUBSTANTIAL ACFT DAMAGE. OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. WHEELING, WV

INJURY DATA   Total Fatal:  5
         # Crew:  1  Fat:  1   Ser:  0   Min:  0   Unk: 
         # Pass:   4  Fat:  4   Ser:  0   Min:  0   Unk: 
         # Grnd:       Fat:  0   Ser:  0   Min:  0   Unk: 

WEATHER: KEKN 190300Z 00000KT 1SM BR CLR 15/15 A2989                
                                          
                            

OTHER DATA
 Activity: Pleasure   Phase: Unknown   Operation: General Aviation

 Departed: ASW             Dep Date:  Dep. Time:  
 Destination: HLG           Flt Plan: IFR     Wx Briefing: U
 Last Radio Cont: PIT APPROACH 127.95
 Last Clearance: CLRD FOR ILS RWY 3

 FAA FSDO: ALLEGHENY CO., PA (EA03)       Entry date: 07/19/2004

FMI: www.ntsb.gov