Christmas Day Crash Kills Two

Two people aboard a pressurized Beech Baron were killed but there were no injuries on the ground when the twin crashed into a residential area of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, late in the afternoon of Christmas Day. The Baron, which is registered to retired plastic surgeon Dr. Vaughan Meyer, was on final for the Sioux Falls Airport when it crashed about three miles southeast of the airport. At least two houses were damaged and four more were evacuated when the aircraft went down just after 5 p.m. Neighbors grabbed fire extinguishers and were able to get the fire under control as first responders dispatched. The body of the pilot was found immediately but it took several hours to find the body of the passenger, which was trapped in the wreckage.

The plane was on a flight from Grand Rapids, Michigan, had been cleared for landing and was on final. The tower controller noticed the aircraft was low and ordered the pilot to break off the approach and to climb and maintain 3,000 feet. There was no response and the controller asked other aircraft to monitor 121.5. The NTSB has dispatched investigators to the scene.