The five employees of an environmental consulting firm killed in a plane crash bound for Ohio have been identified.
The North Little Rock-based environmental consulting firm, CTEH, wrote on Twitter that the employees were “valuable members of our team and CTEH family,” all were male.
The employees identified were:
Gunter Beaty
Kyle Bennett
Micah Kendrick
Sean Sweeney, and Glenmarkus Walker
CTEH released a statement announcing their employee’s deaths:
“It is with a heavy heart that we acknowledge the passing of our colleagues.”
“We ask that you join us in praying for their families, friends, and everyone here at CTEH during this difficult time.”
According to authorities, the employees were traveling on a twin-engine Beech BE20 bound for John Glenn Columbus International Airport in Columbus, Ohio, before it crashed just south of the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport.
The employees on the plane were traveling to Ohio in response to an explosion at a metal manufacturing plant in Bedford, which saw one killed and dozens more injured.
According to the firm’s official website, the company “empowers extraordinary teams of experts to help companies, governments, and communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from threats to their environment and people.”
Bennett is listed on the official website as a staffing manager with “seven years of experience responding to crude oil releases, well control events, trail derailments, chemical spills, and various other emergency responses and incidents in diverse settings.”
Kendrick was a safety supervisor who boasted experience in safety and industrial hygiene practices, according to the website.
“His site safety responsibilities have included roles in industrial settings, construction, train derailments, chemical releases, and wildfire clean up response,” the website states.
No details of what caused the crash
CTEH said in a statement to Fox News that the other employee, Gunter Beaty, was the production safety data manager, while Walker was a rapid responder, and Sweeney was the pilot of the aircraft.
The Associated Press reported that the plane crash occurred as thunderstorms entered the Little Rock area. However, it needs to be clarified if that caused the crash.
A Federal Aviation Administration report revealed the plane crashed under “unknown circumstances” before catching fire.
In a Facebook post, the Little Rock Police Department said emergency services were alerted to the crash at 12:02 p.m. local time.
The incident is now being investigated by The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)
“Once on scene, the investigator will begin the process of documenting the scene and examining the aircraft,” a spokesperson for NTSB told the Arkansas Times.
“Part of the investigation will be to request radar data, weather information, air traffic control communication, maintenance records, and the pilot’s medical records. NTSB investigators will look at the human, machine, and environment as the outline of the investigation.”
According to the spokesperson, the preliminary report on the crash could take 15 days.
“At this early stage of an investigation, NTSB does not state a cause but will provide factual information when available. Investigations involving fatalities and other major investigations currently take between 12 and 24 months to complete,” the spokesperson said.
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