All 12 Aboard Believed Dead in Raleigh Air Crash

A commuter airplane crashed in a wooded area on takeoff in heavy fog from Raleigh-Durham Airport Friday night, and all 12 people aboard were believed killed, airport authorities said.

American Eagle Flight 378, en route to Richmond, Va., crashed about 3,000 feet west of the runway at 9:27 p.m., said Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority spokeswoman Teresa Damiano.

Damiano said the plane carried 10 passengers and two crew members, and all were believed dead.

“The plane is in several small pieces,” Damiano said. “There are no anticipated survivors. My information is this is the largest loss of life in the last 14 years at this airport.”

‘Small Fire Broke Out’

She added that it appeared “a small fire broke out upon impact.” She said there was no communication between the tower and the pilot just prior to the crash.

The plane took off to the southwest, made a right turn and crashed seconds later in a wooded area on the west side of Briar Creek Reservoir, which borders the airport runways, the spokeswoman said. She said the plane can carry up to 19 passengers.

“There was no indication to the tower that the plane was in any trouble prior to takeoff,” Damiano said.

Federal Aviation Administration spokesman V.H. Steed in Atlanta said the crash may have been related to heavy fog in the area at the time. He said investigators from the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board in Washington would arrive today to investigate.

The airport serves the Raleigh-Durham area as well as North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park, a complex of research laboratories that includes a large IBM facility, federal projects and Burroughs-Wellcome, the pharmaceutical company.

Temporary Morgue Set Up

A temporary morgue was set up at the National Guard Armory south of the airport runway.

The plane was a twin-engine, turbo-driven SW-4 made by Swearingen Co, Steed said.

American Eagle, a subsidiary of American Airlines, had recently resumed flights from its base at Raleigh-Durham after filing for bankruptcy reorganization Jan. 15.

The airline abruptly ceased flights Jan. 14, leaving some passengers stranded. In its bankruptcy filing, AVAir Inc., which operates American Eagle, claimed $9.2 million in assets and $12 million in liabilities.