Personal Injury Law

More details emerge about fatal St. Louis area plane crash

By Ryan Bradley, Esq.

More specifics about Sunday evening's deadly St. Louis area plane crash are beginning to emerge, including the names of the victims.

Authorities have tentatively identified the victims as former head of the Missouri Division of Commerce and Industrial Development, Donald Estell, 65, and Robert Clarkson, 68. The identifications are being labeled as tentative because they are based on circumstantial evidence until genetic testing can confirm them definitively.

Estell, an experienced pilot, was flying the plane according to the flight records. Records also show that the flight left Vero Beach, Fla. an hour later than scheduled.

According to an Associated Press report, officials say they plane encountered a light rain just before they were supposed to land in the St. Louis area, but that the weather shouldn't have been a serious factor for an experienced pilot like Estell.

Officials from the FAA and NTSB will continue to investigate the cause of the crash, though a full report on the fatal crash might take months.

Full post as published by Missouri Accident Lawyer Blog on February 23, 2010 (boomark / email).