Tue, Sep 04, 2007
Ministers Were Heading To Meeting On New Church
A Beechcraft Bonanza went down in a remote and rugged area of
Cherokee National Forest in Tennessee Sunday shortly after
takeoff... killing all on board.
According to the Carter County Sheriff's Department, the
Bonanza, carrying five Jehovah's Witness ministers, took off from
the Elizabethton Municipal Airport and was on the way to Virginia
Highlands Airport near Abingdon, VA, when it went down about 10:30
am, reported the Associated Press. The flight reportedly originated
in Hamblen County.
The crash site was discovered by a passing aircraft Saturday
evening about a mile and a half down the south side of the mountain
in a remote area, according to the AP. A subsequent ground search
was delayed by nightfall.
Officials haven't said what may have led to the accident.
Investigators with the FAA and NTSB were due on scene Monday.
Although the no identities have been released, Robert Burpitt,
of the Woodland Heights congregation of Jehovah's Witness in
Kingsport, told the AP the ministers were from Chattanooga, Pigeon
Forge, Morristown, Elizabethton and Unicoi County and were members
of a regional building committee on their way to Abingdon to meet
with a congregation in Lebanon, VA, about building a new
church.
"If a congregation wants to build a new kingdom hall, these five
men would help organize getting the project done," Burpitt said.
"All of the congregations in this region are devastated by this
news, and will continue to keep the families in their prayers."
More News
Aero Linx: JAARS Nearly 1.5 billion people, using more than 5,500 languages, do not have a full Bible in their first language. Many of these people live in the most remote parts of>[...]
'Airplane Bounced Twice On The Grass Runway, Resulting In The Nose Wheel Separating From The Airplane...' Analysis: The pilot reported, “upon touchdown, the plane jumped back>[...]
"Burt is best known to the public for his historic designs of SpaceShipOne, Voyager, and GlobalFlyer, but for EAA members and aviation aficionados, his unique concepts began more t>[...]
"Polaris Dawn, the first of the program’s three human spaceflight missions, is targeted to launch to orbit no earlier than summer 2024. During the five-day mission, the crew >[...]
There Are SO Many Ways To Get YOUR Aero-News! It’s been a while since we have reminded everyone about all the ways we offer your daily dose of aviation news on-the-go...so he>[...]