Thursday, October 25, 2012

Piper PA-28-140 Cherokee, N55620: Accident occurred October 24, 2012 in Maryland Heights, Missouri

http://registry.faa.gov/N55620

NTSB Identification: CEN13FA030  
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Wednesday, October 24, 2012 in Maryland Heights, MO
Probable Cause Approval Date: 06/19/2013
Aircraft: PIPER PA-28-140, registration: N55620
Injuries: 2 Fatal.

NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

As the airplane was approaching the destination airport for a night landing, a witness saw the airplane maneuvering as it passed overhead. She also remarked that the engine sounded like it was sputtering and thought that the pilot was attempting to land the airplane on the beach of a nearby lake. The airplane impacted the water and cartwheeled before sinking. A test run of the engine was conducted; the engine started and ran at various power settings. An examination of the airplane and engine revealed no preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. The temperature and dew point about the time of the accident indicated that the airplane was operating in conditions that were conducive to serious icing at glide power. The pilot was in an extended descent and most likely had the power on the engine reduced for the descent. Although the carburetor heat was found on it is unknown when the pilot activated the carburetor heat. The engine controls were in positions consistent with an attempt to restart the engine; it is likely that the loss of engine power was due to carburetor ice and that the carburetor heat was not activated until after the engine began to lose power.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The pilot’s failure to activate the carburetor heat while operating in conditions conducive to carburetor icing, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to carburetor ice.

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On October 24, 2012, about 2040 central daylight time, a Piper PA-28-140, N55620, was substantially damaged when it impacted Creve Coeur Lake, near Maryland Heights, Missouri. The airline transport certificated pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which operated on a visual flight rules flight plan. The flight originated from Delaware, Ohio, and was en route to Creve Coeur Airport (K1H0), St. Louis, Missouri.

According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the flight had departed Factoryville, Pennsylvania, the day of the accident and stopped in Delaware, Ohio, for fuel.

At 1952, the pilot contacted the St. Louis Lambert terminal radar approach control facility and reported his altitude as 4,500 feet. At 2007, the pilot requested clearance through class bravo (B) airspace, en route to Creve Coeur airport. The controller provided a clearance via the Cardinal VOR and was ultimately cleared to descend to and then below 2,200 feet. The pilot acknowledged these clearances. At 2037, the pilot was cleared to change to the advisory frequency for the Creve Coeur airport and acknowledged that transmission. No other communications were recorded between air traffic control and the pilot.

A witness located on the northeast side of the lake reported that she heard the airplane fly overhead and stated that it sounded low. The airplane approached her position from the east. She stated that the airplane turned to the south and then back to the east as it passed overhead. She also remarked that the engine sounded like it was sputtering. She thought that the pilot was attempting to land the airplane on the beach of Creve Coeur Lake. She then saw the airplane impact the water and cartwheel before sinking.

First responders reported that the airplane was submerged in five feet of water and came to rest inverted.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

The pilot, age 78, held an airline transport pilot certificate with a multiengine land rating and 14 different type ratings. In addition, the pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with single engine land and sea ratings and five different type ratings. He was issued a third class airman medical certificate on July 13, 2011. The certificate contained the limitation “must wear corrective lenses. Not valid for any class after July 31, 2013.”

The pilot’s personal flight logbook was not located. According to his last airman medical certificate application dated July 13, 2011, he had logged no less than 27,000 hours flight time, five of which had been logged in the previous six months.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The accident airplane, a Piper PA28-140 (serial number 28-7325445), was manufactured in 1973. It was registered with the FAA on a standard airworthiness certificate for normal operations. A Lycoming O-320-E3D engine rated at 150 horsepower at 2,700 rpm powered the airplane. The engine was equipped with a fixed pitch, two-blade metal propeller.

The airplane was maintained under an annual inspection program. A review of the maintenance records indicated that an annual inspection had been completed on October 19, 2012, at an airframe total time of 2,481.5 hours. The airplane had flown approximately 9.3 hours between the last inspection and the accident and had a total airframe time of 2,490.78 hours.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

The closest official weather observation station was at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport (KSTL), St. Louis, Missouri, located 7 nautical miles (nm) east of the accident site. The elevation of the weather observation station was 618 feet mean sea level. The routine aviation weather report (METAR) for KSTL, issued at 2051, reported, wind from 160 degrees at 8 knots, visibility 10 miles, sky condition broken 2,500 feet, temperature 24 degrees Celsius (C), dew point temperature 16 degrees C, and altimeter 29.89 inches.

According to the United States Naval Observatory, Astronomical Applications Department Sun and Moon Data, the sunset was recorded at 1810 and the end of civil twilight was 1837. The Moon rose at 1523, and set at 0320 on the following day. The Moon was waxing gibbous with 76% of the Moon's visible disk illuminated.

A review of the carburetor icing probability chart, located in the FAA's Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin CE-09-35, dated 6/30/2009, revealed that the airplane was operating in conditions favorable for the formation of “serious icing at glide power.”

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATION

The airplane came to rest inverted in Creve Coeur Lake in approximately 5 feet of water, at an elevation of 470 feet. The nose of the airplane was oriented on an approximate heading of south. The main wreckage included the left and right wings, empennage, fuselage, and engine and propeller assembly.

Rescue crews hooked on to the empennage of the airplane and pulled it towards shore in order to aid in recovery of the victims. The damage to the empennage was a result of recovery and not a result of the accident sequence.

The fuselage included two front seats, the instrument panel, forward and two side windscreens, and the main cabin door. The main cabin door remained attached to the fuselage and had been bent during the recovery process. The right forward seat was forward in the seat track, the seatbelt was unlatched, and shoulder harness had been cut during the rescue process. The left forward seat was aft in the seat track and the seatbelt and shoulder harness were unlatched. The fuselage was otherwise unremarkable.

The following engine and airplane control positions were recorded:
Throttle – Full forward
Mixture – Full rich
Carburetor Heat – On
Fuel Selector Valve – Right Tank

The engine and propeller assembly remained attached to the fuselage. The cowling was bent. Dirt, rocks, and vegetation were impacted between the propeller spinner and the propeller flange. Both propeller blades remained attached to the engine and were covered with dirt and rocks. Approximately 2 tablespoons of water were drained from the gascolator on the engine. The engine oil measured over 8 quarts on the engine oil dipstick and was consistent in texture and color with recently changed oil. The propeller and engine were otherwise unremarkable.

The right wing included the right aileron, right flap, and right landing gear assembly. The right flap was extended to the second “notch.” The right aileron flight control cables remained attached and were continuous and correct from the right aileron inboard to both flight control yokes in the cabin. The wing and wheel pant were otherwise unremarkable. Two gallons of water were drained from the right wing fuel tank. A thin film ¼ inch deep, of a blue liquid, consistent in smell and color with aviation fuel, layered on top of the two gallons of water.

The left wing included the left aileron, left flap, and left landing gear assembly. The left flap was extended to the second “notch.” The left aileron flight control cables remained attached and were continuous and correct from the left aileron inboard to both flight control yokes in the cabin. Approximately 90 inches of the outboard, leading edge of the left wing was crushed down, aft, and twisted. The inboard portion of the left wing was unremarkable. The forward portion of the left landing gear wheel pant was broken. Two and a half gallons of water were drained from the left wing fuel tank. A thin film of a blue liquid, ¼ inch deep, consistent in smell and color with aviation fuel, was layered on top of the two and a half gallons of water.

The empennage was bent and twisted; however, the damage was incurred during the recovery of the airplane from the water. Prior to recovery the empennage was unremarkable. The flight control cables for the rudder and stabilator were continuous and correct from the respective flight control forward to the flight control yokes and rudder pedals in the cabin of the airplane. No preimpact anomalies were found with the airframe.

MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION

The autopsy was performed by the Saint Louis County Health – Office of the Medical Examiner, on October 25, 2012. The autopsy on the pilot concluded that the cause of death was anoxic brain injury due to drowning.

The FAA’s Civil Aerospace Medical Institute, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, performed toxicological tests on specimens that were collected during the autopsy (CAMI Reference #201200240001). Results were negative for all carbon monoxide, cyanide, and volatiles. Testing of the blood and muscle revealed atropine. Atropine is an acetylcholine muscarinic receptor antagonist often used in emergency resuscitation efforts.

TESTS AND RESEARCH

The airplane was recovered to a secure facility near Wright City, Missouri, for further examination of the engine.

The upper and lower banks of sparkplugs were removed from all four cylinders. The sparkplugs were wet with water and several were white in color consistent with a lean fuel situation. The oil sump was drained revealing both water and oil. The fuel gascolator was removed and was full of water. The screen was free of debris. The filter on the electric fuel pump was free of contamination and blockage and odor from the fluid inside the fuel pump smelled consistent with fuel. Water was drained from the cylinders and throughout the exhaust system. Borescope examination of the cylinders revealed signs of normal operation. Both magnetos were removed, placed on a test bench, and functionally tested. Once the magnetos were dry, they produced a blue spark across each lead.

The engine and airframe were tied to a trailer for the testing purposes. The magnetos were reinstalled, the engine was timed, and attached to an external fuel and power source. The engine started without hesitation and ran at varying power settings for 10 minutes. A maximum level of 1,900 rpm was reached. The engine throttle was not advanced to full rpm position because of the potential for unseen damage to the propeller and propeller flange. No preimpact anomalies were found with the engine.



NTSB Identification: CEN13FA030  
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Wednesday, October 24, 2012 in Maryland Heights, MO
Aircraft: PIPER PA-28-140, registration: N55620
Injuries: 1 Fatal.

On October 24, 2012, about 2040 central daylight time, a Piper PA-28-140, N55620, was substantially damaged when it impacted Creve Coeur Lake, Maryland Heights, Missouri, under unknown circumstances. The airline transport certificated pilot was fatally injured and his passenger sustained serious injuries. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, which operated on a visual flight rules flight plan. The flight originated from Delaware, Ohio, and was en route to Creve Coeur Airport (K1HO), St. Louis, Missouri.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the flight had departed Factoryville, Pennsylvania, the day of the accident and stopped in Delaware, Ohio, for fuel. A witness in the area reported hearing the engine sputtering and thought that the pilot was attempting to land the airplane on the beach of Creve Coeur Lake. The airplane impacted the water and cartwheel before sinking. First responders reported that the airplane was submerged in five feet of water and came to rest inverted. First responders pulled the airplane closer to shore in order to aid in recovering the two occupants.

The closest official weather observation station was Lambert-St. Louis International Airport (KSTL), St. Louis, Missouri, located 7 nautical miles (nm) east of the accident site. The elevation of the weather observation station was 618 feet mean sea level. The routine aviation weather report (METAR) for KSTL, issued at 2051, reported, winds 160 degrees at 8 knots, visibility 10 miles, sky condition broken 2,500, temperature 24 degrees Celsius (C), dew point temperature 16 degrees C, altimeter 28.89 inches.




 


Russell Hazelton




Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board combed through the wreckage of a Piper PA-28 Cherokee on Thursday, Oct. 25, 2012, the day after the small plane crashed into Creve Coeur Lake. The pilot, Russell Hazelton, died. His wife, Suzanne Hazelton, was reported to be in critical condition.


Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board combed through the wreckage of a Piper PA-28 Cherokee on Thursday, Oct. 25, 2012, the day after the small plane crashed into Creve Coeur Lake. The pilot, Russell Hazelton, died. His wife, Suzanne Hazelton, was reported to be in critical condition. Photo by Robert Cohen, Post Dispatch

 
Sandy Jones, walking her daughter's dogs Joey and Petey, looks at the wreckage of a Piper PA-28 Cherokee on Thursday, Oct. 25, 2012, the day after it into the lake. The pilot, Russell Hazelton, died. His wife, Suzanne Hazelton, was reported to be in critical condition. Photo by Robert Cohen, Post-Dispatch
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PHOTOS: Plane crashes in Creve Coeur Lake

Russell Hazelton, the pilot of the plane that crashed into Creve Coeur Lake this week, died overnight. Hazelton’s wife, Suzanne, remains in critical condition. Friends say the loss will have an enormous impact on their neighborhood.

“Very tough. We’re going miss him as a neighbor and as friends,” said Fairfield condominium resident Sam Hopmeier in response to the news that Russell Hazelton, the pilot of the plane that crashed into Creve Coeur Lake Wednesday evening, died overnight after the crash.

Authorities made the announcement Thursday morning. They said Hazelton’s wife, Suzanne, remains in critical condition Thursday afternoon.

Russell and Suzanne, of 805 Fairfield Lake Drive in Town and Country, reportedly spent their time between three homes. Neighbors tell Patch that Russell was a retired TWA pilot and the couple usually spent four months each year at each of their homes in St. Louis, Vermont and Pennsylvania.

“I think Russell will be greatly missed and we are praying for Suzie. I know it’s in the Lord’s hands, but we are praying for her nonetheless,” next-door neighbor Juana Johnson tells Patch. She and her husband James, a bishop at Bethesda Temple Church in Normandy, would watch the Hazeltons home when they were out of town. They said the Hazeltons were extremely friendly, welcoming and active in the neighborhood.

“It’s going to drastically change the complexity of the neighborhood. Drastically,” James Johnson said. “We have been deeply touched by this tragedy.”

“She was just what you think of when you think of a good neighbor,” Juana added.

It’s a sentiment shared by all of the neighbors Patch spoke with.

One long-time neighbor who knew the Hazeltons for years, but did not want to be identified, described the situation as a “terrible tragedy” and described the couple as “wonderful people” who were “loved in the neighborhood.”

Suzanne reportedly helped organize a popular neighborhood pool party each year.

“Suzie and Russ were very much a part of the community,” said a tearful Pat Hopmeier who also knew the couple for years. “Very dear. Very giving.”

Pat and her husband Sam visited the Hazeltons at their Pennsylvania lake house.

Pat said the couple met in Pennsylvania and that they actually grew up together because their families were friends who lived near each other on the lake.

“Sad,” was Pat’s hard-to-muster comment on the tragedy.

“We hope she can recover,” Sam said of Suzanne’s current condition. “Just very warm and open and sharing and loving.”

Russell and Suzanne were also both graduates of the city’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training program through the local police and fire departments. The CERT program trains residents how to assist the community in the event of a large-scale disaster.

Sam completed the CERT program with the Hazeltons and close to 40 other Fairfield residents.
“They were willing to be involved in anything and everything in the community. They were just that type of people. Gregarious, involved and wiling to help and participate in virtually everything,” Sam tells Patch.

The Johnsons say the couple used to make the drive from the Midwest to the Northeast, but began flying back and forth more in recent years.

Juana said she used to pack them food for their trips.

“Our grandchildren even played with each other. They looked forward to seeing each other every Thanksgiving,” Juana explained. “They’re wonderful neighbors. I was looking so forward to them coming home.”

The Hazeltons were on their way to Creve Coeur Airport from Pennsylvania when the plane crashed.
“He was always very cautious in conversations,” Sam told Patch. “Circumstances occurred that with the best of intentions something went wrong. We’ll let the FAA decide what went wrong.”
Neighbors said they are not sure a funeral service will be held in the area, since most of the Hazelton’s family is in the Northeast.

PHOTOS: Plane crashes in Creve Coeur Lake

MARYLAND HEIGHTS • The pilot of a small plane that crashed into Creve Coeur Lake and then flipped over died early today, police said.

The only passenger was the pilot's wife; she was hospitalized and on life support Thursday morning, authorities said.

The single-engine, four-seat plane crashed about 8:40 p.m. Wednesday.

Russell Hazelton, 78, was the pilot. He died at DePaul Health Center in Bridgeton, said Maj. Bill Carson of the Maryland Heights Police Department. It was not yet clear if Hazelton died from injuries in the crash or if he drowned. His wife, Suzanne Hazelton, 69, was the passenger.

The Piper PA-28 Cherokee is registered with the Federal Aviation Administration to Russell Hazelton of Factoryville, Pa. The couple also had homes in Town and Country and in Vermont.

FAA spokeswoman Elizabeth Isham Cory said the plane had left Delaware, Ohio, and was scheduled to land at Creve Coeur Airport. The crash scene is not far from the small airport. Both the airport and the lake are in Maryland Heights.

The first call about the crash came into Maryland Heights police at 8:40 p.m. Police and rescue workers were at the scene within minutes. Maj. Bill Carson of the Maryland Heights Police Department said the first Maryland Heights officer arrived within four minutes of the call.

He said the plane was upside down with the cockpit submerged. Officers swam to the plane but could not get the door open, Carson said. The Hazeltons were underwater for about seven to eight minutes.

Six Maryland Heights police officers and about 10 Maryland Heights and Pattonville firefighters dragged the plane to about waist-deep water where they held it up to keep the Hazeltons out of the water. Firefighters then used tools to pry the door open.

"It was a very valiant effort to save this couple," Carson said.

Chief Steve Olshwanger of the Maryland Heights Fire Protection District said it took about six minutes to pry open the door once police and firefighters got into the water. After rescuers freed the Hazeltons from their seat belts, they began CPR and were able to get them breathing again.

Dozens of emergency responders and vehicles, including a police helicopter shining a spotlight on the lake, were at the scene within an hour.

Members of the Lake Saint Louis Fire Protection District dive team waited on shore in case they were needed to recover bodies from the water. A hazmat team was also called to the site to respond to a fuel leak from the plane.

Police said a flight plan filed for the plane with the FAA listed only two people on board, but as a precaution, officials used sonar equipment to search the lake for others.

A witness told officials that the plane’s engine sounded as if it was sputtering as the Piper circled the lake. Despite an attempt to land on shore, the witness told police, the pilot set down on the water and the aircraft flipped.

"It banked and appeared to making an emergency landing, possibly on the beach," Carson said.

Carson said Hazelton was familiar with the area and was well-known at Creve Coeur airport.

The plane remained upside-down in waist-deep water in the eastern part of the lake hours after the crash. Rescuers reported some type of fuel or oil spill on the water's surface but it was unclear what that was.

Investigators from the FAA will be on the scene Thursday.  Tony Molinaro, a spokesman for the FAA, said since one of the victims died overnight, the National Transportation Safety Board will take over the investigation, Molinaro said. It will be the only agency authorized to discuss the investigation.

'LOVELY PEOPLE'

Neighbors of the Hazeltons on Fairfield Lake Drive in Town and Country said the Hazeltons generally lived in their condo there part of the year, from October to December and again from April to June.

Russell Hazelton had been a TWA pilot, according to James A. Johnson and Juana J. Johnson, who live next door and have known the couple for about three and a half years. Suzanne Hazelton had been a teacher.

"I asked her this spring, 'Are you nervous with Russell (in the plane?)'" Juana Johnson said. "She said, 'No, he's a pilot.' It's not an issue."

When they were in town, Suzanne Hazelton would attend Bethesda Temple Church of the Apostolic Faith in Normandy, where James Johnson is bishop. They had an adult son and daughter, who live in New York City.

"They were lovely people, the best neighbors you could ever have," Juana Johnson said. "She emailed me Monday and said they were coming in Wednesday. I thought, 'Great a good sunny day for travel.'"

The Johnsons were watching the World Series Wednesday night when they heard from a breaking news report that a plane had crashed. Fearing it was the Hazeltons, Juana Johnson ran outside, where she saw the Hazeltons' home was dark.

"It's hurtful," James Johnson said.

Tim Townsend of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.


MARYLAND HEIGHTS • One person died overnight after a small plane crashed into Creve Coeur Lake and then flipped on its back, police said today.

The crash happened about 8:40 p.m. Wednesday.

Emergency responders rescued two people from the plane. They were rushed to a hospital, where one of them died overnight, said Maj. Bill Carson of the Maryland Heights Police Department.

The second person remained hospitalized.

The Piper PA-28 Cherokee single-engine plane is registered with the Federal Aviation Administration to a Russell C. Hazelton of Factoryville, Pa. There was no answer at a phone number listed to that name in Factoryville.

FAA spokeswoman Elizabeth Isham Cory said the plane had left Delaware, Ohio, and was scheduled to land at Creve Coeur Airport.

The first call about the crash came into Maryland Heights police at 8:40 p.m. Police and rescue workers were at the scene within minutes.

Dozens of emergency responders and vehicles, including a police helicopter shining a spotlight on the lake, were at the scene within an hour.

Members of the Lake Saint Louis Fire Protection District dive team waited on shore in case they were needed to recover bodies from the water. A hazmat team was also called to the site to respond to a fuel leak from the plane.

Police said a flight plan filed for the plane with the FAA listed only two people on board, but as a precaution, officials used sonar equipment to search the lake for others.

A witness told officials that the plane’s engine sounded as if it was sputtering as the Piper circled the lake. Despite an attempt to land on shore, the witness told police, the pilot set down on the water and the aircraft flipped.

The plane remained upside-down in waist-deep water in the eastern part of the lake hours after the crash.

The survivors of the crash were taken to DePaul Health Center. Their names were not released.


Police said a representative from the FAA would visit the scene today.

Cory said the FAA's probe could take several months as investigators talk with witnesses, pull radar records, and check the plane's history and pilot's training, among other details.

The crash scene is not far from the small Creve Coeur Airport. Both the airport and the lake are in Maryland Heights.

http://www.stltoday.com

Crews from St. Charles, Lake St. Louis, Maryland Heights, Monarch, and Robertson also responded to assist in the rescue.

Within the first 10 minutes, rescue crews were able to extricate two people from inside the plane. The man and woman were taken to SSM DePaul Health Center, a Level II trauma center. They were still unconscious as of Thursday morning. It is not believed anyone else was onboard.


Witnesses say the engine may have been sputtering when it went down and the pilot may have been trying to land on the water.


Dive teams conducted an underwater search.


The plane was traveling from Delaware, Ohio to Creve Coeur Airport, which is approximately two miles west of Creve Coeur Lake.


 A small plane has crashed into the lake at Creve Coeur Park in Maryland Heights.

Maryland Heights Deputy Police chief Maj. Bill Carson told St. Louis Public Radio's Tim Lloyd that his department got the first call about the crash around 8:40 p.m. on Wednesday. 

When police arrived at the scene, the cockpit was submerged and they couldn’t pry it open.  Multiple police officers got under the wings and lifted it out of the water to keep the pilot and passenger from drowning.

When firefighters arrived, they where able to free the two victims from the four-seat plane - they are in critical condition at DePaul Hospital. Their identities have not been released. Dive teams found no additional victims.

Carson said according to an eyewitness report, the plane sounded like it was having engine trouble and appeared to be trying to land on a beach on the east side of the lake.

"But, instead of hitting the shore the plane actually hit the water and flipped over upside down,” Carson said. 

Federal Aviation Administration records show the plane, a single-engine Piper Cherokee, is registered to Russell C. Hazelton of Pennsylvania, a former captain with Trans World Airlines and now a director at Penn Security Bank and Trust.  It's not yet known if Hazelton was on board. Flight records show the plane taking off from a municipal airport outside of Columbus, Ohio around 6 p.m., with plans to land at Creve Coeur Airport, which is located less than two miles from the crash site.   The scene will be left intact until the FAA can investigate.

http://news.stlpublicradio.org

 Maryland Heights, MO (KSDK) - The FAA is expected to arrive Thursday at the site of the Creve Coeur Lake plane crash.
 

Investigators scheduled a press conference for 9:30 a.m. about the crash.
The plane was tied overnight to a Maryland Heights police vehicle to keep it from drifting into the lake. 

 

The Pattonville Fire Protection District received a phone call at 8:45 p.m. Wednesday for a plane in the water.
 

When emergency personnel arrived they found the four-person plane upside down in the water and two people trapped inside.  


 MARYLAND HEIGHTS • A woman who was critically injured in a small plane crash last week that killed her pilot husband has also died. 

Suzanne Hazelton, 69, died at about 5:30 p.m. Monday, said a spokeswoman with DePaul Health Center in Bridgeton. She was critically injured in the crash, which happened in Creve Coeur Lake, and had been on life support.

Russell Hazelton, 78, died the morning after the Wednesday night crash. He was a former TWA pilot and had been flying with his wife to spend time at their Town and Country home.

The plane was registered to Russell Hazelton in Factoryville, Pa., but the couple also had homes in Vermont and Town and Country, authorities and neighbors said.

Russell Hazelton was piloting the Piper PA-28 Cherokee - a small, single-engine plane - from Delaware, Ohio, toward Creve Coeur Airport when something went wrong about 8:40 p.m. not far from the airfield in Maryland Heights.

A witness told officials that the plane's engine sounded as if it was sputtering as the Piper circled the lake. Officials said it banked and appeared to be making an emergency landing, possibly on the beach, when the pilot set the plane down on the water and the aircraft flipped over.

Rescue workers who came to the scene within minutes found the plane upside down with the cockpit submerged. They could not get the door open, so they dragged the plane to shallow water and held it up to keep the couple out of the water. Authorities estimated the Hazeltons were underwater for about seven to eight minutes.

http://www.stltoday.com

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