Four victims of an airplane crash 3 miles southeast of Piedmont have been identified by a church and a funeral home.
An airplane clipped a hay bale on takeoff at Sundance Airport Tuesday, Aug. 6 and then crashed into a wooded area near east of the runway, killing four people aboard, the Federal Aviation Administration reported.
Three victims have been identified by their church in north Oklahoma City. They were Daniel Swinehart and his sons Landin, 13, and Hudson. Also killed was the pilot and the registered owner of the airplane, Michael Geoffrey Kaswan, 68, of Oklahoma City. A funeral for Kaswan was Sunday, according to an online obituary.
Quail Springs Baptist Church’s pastor released the following statement to the media that was reported by TV stations Friday.
“We at Quail Springs Baptist Church are heartbroken over the tragic loss experienced by the Swinehart family. On Tuesday, August 6, Daniel Swinehart, a proud veteran who served his country with honor, and his two young sons, Landin, 13, and Hudson, 10, who both embraced life with the joy and enthusiasm typical of boys their age, tragically lost their lives in a plane crash. Daniel’s wife and the boys’ mother, Victoria Swinehart, was not on board the aircraft and is enduring this grief with the support of her family, friends, and church community.”
The statement continues, “In these dark times, we draw strength from our faith. As Scripture reminds us in 1 Thessalonians 4:13, “Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.” We find solace in knowing that our loved ones are with the Lord and that we will see them again. This hope in Jesus does not erase our pain but offers comfort and a promise that grief is not the end.”
The statement reads, “During this extremely sensitive period, we ask that the media and public respect the family’s wish for privacy. Our church doors remain open for those who seek solace and fellowship, and our pastoral staff is available to provide support.”
Anyone wishing to express condolences or inquire about how to support the Swinehart family can call Ray Griffin, Executive Pastor at Quail Springs Baptist Church, at (405) 302-3025, the statement reads.
Meanwhile, authorities reported the fatalities Tuesday afternoon at Sundance Airport in far northwest Oklahoma City. The airport is southeast of Piedmont near Sara Road and W. Memorial Road.
The Oklahoma City fire department reported about 1:30 p.m. that firefighters responded to a potential aircraft accident near the 13000 block of N Sara Road. While en route, firefighters reported a plume of smoke rising from the area.
Upon arrival fire crews found an airplane on fire in a wooded area just east of the runway. The crash site was west of Stone Ridge Farms addition.
“Firefighters extinguished the flames and discovered that all four souls on board had tragically perished,” according to a post from the Oklahoma City Fire Department on their Facebook page.
Fire department Capt. Scott Douglas told reporters at the scene, “Fire crews arrived on scene and located a single-engine plane that was just to the east of the runway here. Looked like the plane had crashed into the trees so it is kind of in a wooded area. There was a lot of fire that was active. Firefighters quickly extinguished the flames.”
Federal authorities are investigating the crash, and confirmed the crash happened during a takeoff.
The identities of the victims had not been released Friday by authorities.
The cause of the aircraft accident is currently under investigation, the fire department reported.
The Federal Aviation Administration released a statement following the crash:
“A single-engine Beechcraft BE33 crashed while departing from Sundance Airport in Oklahoma City around 1:30 p.m. local time on Tuesday, Aug. 6. Four people were on board. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate. The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation and will provide further updates.”
A preliminary report on the FAA website shows the left wing of the airplane struck a hay bale, causing it to crash into woods east of the runway near the Stone Ridge Farms housing addition and the under-development Cornerstone Creek housing addition.
The fixed-wing, single-engine airplane was manufactured in 1992.
Read The Piedmont-Surrey Gazette for more on this developing story.
