Newspaper Owner and Six Others Die in Fiery Plane Crash

Seven people, including the co-owner of the Philadelphia Inquirer, were killed when a private jet crashed on takeoff and erupted in a fireball at a Massachusetts air field, authorities said early Sunday.

'There were no survivors,' said Matthew Brelis, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Port Authority, which operates Hanscom Field in Bedford, where the Gulfstream IV crashed as it was taking off at about 9:40 p.m. en route to Atlantic City International Airport in New Jersey.

'Our thoughts and prayers are with the people on board and their loved ones,' Brelis said.

Philadelphia Inquirer co-owner Lewis Katz was among the dead, the newspaper's editor said Sunday.

Bill Marimow confirmed Katz's death to Philly.com, saying he learned the news from close associates, the Associated Press first reported.

According to Philly.com, last Tuesday, Katz and H.F. 'Gerry' Lenfest bought out their partners in the publishing business for $88 million, gaining control of the media company that owns the Inquirer.

'We all deeply mourn the loss of my true friend and fellow investor in ownership of The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Daily News and Philly.com,' Lenfest said. 'It is a severe loss, but I am pleased to announce that Drew Katz, Lewis's son, will replace his father on the board of our new company.'

The names of the other victims were not immediately released, but Longport, New Jersey, Commissioner Jim Leeds told the Press of Atlantic City that his wife, Anne Leeds, was on board.

He said Katz, a neighbor, asked his wife, a former teacher, to travel to the Boston area 'to see about an educational program.'

Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Jim Peters said the plane 'apparently ran off Runway 11' as it was departing. 'Officials report that it caught fire,' he said.

Nearby residents recounted seeing a fireball and feeling the blast of the explosion shake their homes.

Jeff Patterson told The Boston Globe he saw a fireball about 60 feet in the air and suspected the worst for those aboard the plane.

'I heard a big boom, and I thought at the time that someone was trying to break into my house because it shook it,' said Patterson's son, 14-year-old Jared Patterson. 'I thought someone was like banging on the door trying to get in.'

The National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation. An airport spokesman said the bodies would not be removed from the wreckage until NTSB investigators got their first look at it.

The air field, which is about 20 miles northwest of Boston and serves the public, was closed after the crash.

- Tracy Connor with the Associated Press

First published May 31 2014, 8:48 PM