Four people were hurt when a King Air jet plane crashed at the Chicago-Rockford Airport at around 6 pm Monday night.
The plane crashed short of the airport property as it attempted to land on Runway 25 from an unknown destination. The plane may have clipped a tree, then rammed through an exterior fence and ended up on airport property, ripping off the tail section of the aircraft.
Two passengers had to be extricated from the plane with serious injuries, one who was unconscious but reportedly regained consciousness in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. A third person was walking outside the aircraft but injured and transported. A fourth person on the plane was escorted out and also transported with more minor injuries.
Conditions were very windy at the time, but airport officials cannot say whether it was wind, a mechanical problem or potentially pilot error. They would not say whether there were any emergency transmissions prior to the crash.
The airport will fully reopen just after 8 pm, and officials say delays were minimal.
