Small Jet From Tulsa Crashes At South Bend Airport, Killing Two

A small jet from Tulsa's Jones Riverside Airport crashed in South Bend, Indiana Sunday afternoon, hitting at least three homes. Two people on the jet were killed and two others were injured.

Monday, March 18th 2013, 7:15 am

By: News On 6

Small Jet From Tulsa Crashes At South Bend Airport, Killing Two

A small jet from Jones Riverside Airport in Tulsa crashed in South Bend, Indiana Sunday afternoon, hitting at least three homes.

Two people on the jet were killed, two others were injured as was one person on the ground.

The St. Joseph County's coroner's office has confirmed the names of the people killed in a plane crash late Sunday afternoon near the South Bend Regional Airport, according to WSBT-TV.

The station says the coroner identified the dead as Steve Davis, 60, and Wesley Caves, 58.

The Beechcraft Premier 1 with tail number N26DK left Jones Riverside Airport Sunday afternoon. The crash occurred at about 4:30 p.m. Eastern time.

The pilot reported an electrical problem right before hitting those homes in South Bend.

The jet is registered to 7700 Enterprises of Montana LLC in Helena, Montana. The company is owned by Wes Caves and his company does business as DigiCut Systems in Tulsa. The company makes window film and paint overlay for automobiles.

Reached by phone on Sunday, Caves' wife told reporters she believed her husband was killed, then she hung up.

South Bend Fire officials say they've accounted for everyone connected with the damaged homes.

A woman who lives close to the crash site says she heard a loud bang, then went to see what had happened.

"First thing we heard was the bang, crash, the explosion, then we got closer from the outside we could see the smoke and we went down and you could see where the back of the house was completely gone and you could smell the gas," said South Bend resident Vickie Kline.

According to South Bend fire, the jet was eight miles west of the airport on approach. The FAA says the pilot reported a problem with electrical power. At the airport, the FAA reported the jet touched down one time then started to climb again, before crashing into the homes.

A National Transportation Safety Board investigator arrived on the scene Sunday night.

A preliminary report is not expected on the crash for seven to 10 days.

Autopsies are expected to be performed Monday.