Story ID: 
Thirteen Killed in Three Turboprop Crashes
By: Gordon Gilbert
Caption: Three separate accidents in the space of four days last week involved turboprop twins and claimed the lives of all 13 aboard.
Word Count: 170
Three separate accidents in the space of four days last week involved turboprop twins and claimed the lives of all 13 aboard. On October 15, four people in a Commander 690 (N55JS) were killed when the aircraft crashed near Antlers, Okla., on an IFR flight plan from Oklahoma City to Orlando, Fla. On October 18, five people in a Piper Cheyenne (N121CS) died when the airplane crashed during a photo flight with a MiG-21. The accident happened moments after the Cheyenne reportedly flew near the Soviet fighter to inspect it for a possible gear door problem. On October 19 a crew of two and their passengers (two surgeons) were killed when a King Air C90A (F-GVPD) crashed immediately after takeoff from La Veze Airport, Besançon, France. VMC prevailed. Operator Lyon-based Flowair Aviation was planning a Besançon-to-Amiens flight to collect a human organ for a transplant. According to local police and the airport operator, the aircraft clipped trees, crashed about 1,500 feet from the end of the runway and burst into flames.