Couples Were Returning Home To TX

We now know the identities of the four people killed in Monday's tragic downing of a Piper Seneca twin in the resort town of Branson, MO. The victims were Paul Johnson, 71, and his wife, Marcia Johnson, 71; Betty Roach, 80; and her husband, Bill Roach.

The two couples were reportedly returning home to Lubbock, TX when the accident occurred, just after 12:30 pm Monday afternoon.

Paul Johnson was flying the aircraft, and had radioed to say he was trying to return to Taney County Airport in Point Lookout, MO shortly before the accident.

Investigators with the FAA and NTSB are on scene Tuesday, sifting through the wreckage and attempting to determine if a mechanical problem brought the light twin down. Witnesses on the ground report the plane sounded as if it was having engine problems shortly before it crashed.

The aircraft, a 1977 Piper PA-34-200T (file photo of type, above right), was registered to Johnson.

**   Report created 3/21/2006   Record 1   
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IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 21RR        Make/Model: PA34      Description: PA-34 Seneca
  Date: 03/20/2006     Time: 1830

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

LOCATION
  City: BRANSON   State: MO   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  ACFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, AFTER DEPARTURE DECLARED AN
  EMERGENCY, ATTEMPTED TO RETURN, THE FOUR PERSONS ON BOARD WERE FATALLY
  INJURED, BRANSON, MO

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

WEATHER: WIND 010 AT 5 VIS10 OVC5000

OTHER DATA

  Departed: POINT LOOKOUT, MO           Dep Date:    Dep. Time:     
  Destination: LUBBUCK, TX              Flt Plan: IFR          Wx Briefing: 
  Last Radio Cont: 
  Last Clearance: 

  FAA FSDO: KANSAS CITY, MO  (CE05)               Entry date: 03/21/2006

FMI: www.ntsb.gov