Snow Reported At Time Of Accident

The pilot and one passenger onboard a Cessna 208 Caravan cargo plane were killed when the single-engine turboprop crashed on takeoff Wednesday morning from Rickenbacker International Airport in Ohio.

The Logan Daily News reports the bodies of pilot James A. Babcock and passenger Michael Benton were found in the wreckage of the aircraft, which departed the airport at around 0700 local time.

Crews located the plane (type shown above) south of the field, on airport property, after a 40-minute search. The aircraft came to rest inverted. 

The aircraft was enroute to Buffalo, NY. The plane, owned by Castle Aviation, was flying for AirNet Systems of Columbus, according Pickaway County Sheriff Dwight Radcliff. 

Investigators with the FAA and NTSB were expected on scene Thursday. According to the FAA's preliminary report, snow was reported at the field at the time of the crash, with low clouds and visibility of one-and-one-half miles.

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 28MG        Make/Model: C208      Description: 208 Caravan 1, (Super)Cargomaster, Grand
  Date: 12/05/2007     Time: 1148

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

LOCATION
  City: COLUMBUS   State: OH   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  AIRCRAFT, SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, CRASHED TWO MILES FROM RICKENBACKER
  AIRPORT,  THE TWO PERSONS ON BOARD WERE FATALLY INJURED, COLUMBUS, OH

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

WEATHER: WIND080 AT 5 VIS 1.5SNOW OVC500

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

  FAA FSDO: COLUMBUS, OH  (GL07)                  Entry date: 12/06/2007

FMI: www.faa.gov