Crime & Safety
Pilot Killed As Plane Veers Off Runway, Catches Fire
The FAA said the plane crashed just after takeoff and burst into flames.
ROCKFORD, IL — The pilot was killed when a Beechcraft King Air twin-engine plane went off the runway during takeoff at Chicago Rockford International Airport Thursday, authorities said.
The plane crashed shortly after takeoff around 8:44 p.m. and caught fire, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The National Transportation Safety Board is reportedly investigating the crash.
Winnebago County Coroner Bill Hintz did not immediately identify the pilot, according to the Chicago Tribune.
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