By Amy Forliti
The Associated Press
 AP Photo An aerial shot shows first responders at the scene of small jet crash in Minn., Thursday. The plane crashed in strong thunderstorms killing at least seven people. |
OWATONNA, Minn. — A small jet flying from New Jersey to Minnesota crashed in strong thunderstorms Thursday, killing at least seven people who were traveling to do business with a glass company that was awarded a contract for the World Trade Center site.
Ten people were supposed to be aboard the Raytheon Hawker 800 that went down at a regional airport about 60 miles south of the Twin Cities.
Authorities were searching for two more people who could not immediately be located, but officials said they may not have boarded the plane, which was flying from Atlantic City, N.J., to Owatonna, a town of 25,000.
One person aboard the plane apparently survived and was taken to a hospital.
The charter jet went down in a cornfield northwest of the airport, scattering debris along a gravel road, Sheriff Gary Ringhofer said. The wreckage was not visible to reporters because tall corn obscured the crash site.
Elizabeth Isham Cory, a Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman, identified the charter’s owner as East Coast Jets Inc.
A person who answered the phone at the company declined to comment.
The plane had been scheduled to land at 9:42 a.m., then take off at 11:40 a.m. for Crossville, Tenn.
The Owatonna People’s Press reported the plane was carrying customers to Viracon Inc., an Owatonna-based glass company that earlier this year was awarded a contract to supply glass to the World Trade Center site.
Viracon President Don Pyatt told the newspaper that the customers were from a couple of different companies and planned to visit the plant to discuss a project in Las Vegas.
He did not immediately return a call from The Associated Press.
Mary Ann Jackson, a spokeswoman for Viracon’s parent company, Apogee Enterprises Inc., confirmed to The Associated Press that the passengers were Viracon customers but declined to elaborate.
Degner Regional Airport’s Web site describes it as “ideal for all classes of corporate aircraft” with an all-weather instrument landing system. “Maintaining access to Owatonna’s business community in all weather conditions is a priority,” the site says.
The thunderstorms brought winds up to 80 mph that knocked out power lines, snapped trees and damaged some buildings.