Kingsley couple died in plane crash

***UPDATE***

BY BORYS KRAWCZENIUK, Times Shamrock Writer

A Kingsley couple died in the crashed plane discovered Sunday in Lenox Township, Susquehanna County Coroner Anthony Conarton said today.

Mr. Conarton identified the couple as Thomas Y. Huf, 73, and his wife, Elaine, 65, of Kingsley. An autopsy showed they died of multiple traumatic injuries, Mr. Conarton said. Their bodies were burned beyond recognition in a post-crash fire.

The Hufs were flying from Sandusky, Ohio, to Wilkes-Barre, in the vintage twin-engine Cessna T-50 they owned. They were scheduled to arrive at their destination on Labor Day, but never made it.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the crash.

BY SARAH SCINTO
Times Shamrock Writer

An unidentified pilot and passenger died in the wreckage of a plane discovered in Lenox Twp., Susquehanna County, Sunday morning, state police said.

State police at Gibson said the plane had been “overdue” for arrival since Labor Day. Police received a report on Friday and discovered the burned wreckage in a field around 10:30 a.m. Sunday.

Susquehanna County Coroner Anthony Conarton said he could not identify the bodies Sunday night because of the severity of their burns and injuries.

“At this point, I couldn’t even tell if they’re two adults,” Conarton said. “We’re waiting for dental and medical records to piece everything together.”
Peter Knudson of the National Transportation Safety Board said two people were on board the Cessna T-50 aircraft’s flight from Sandusky, Ohio, to Wilkes-Barre when it crashed. Both were killed.

“There was definitely a post-crash fire,” Knudson said.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the Cessna T-50 is a World War II vintage twin-engine aircraft. Knudson said the aircraft is not “particularly large” and would not have been used for commercial purposes.
The NTSB and FAA are investigating the cause of the crash.

While Conarton works to identify the victims, Knudson said the NTSB will remove the aircraft to “a secure location” to determine the cause of the crash.

“We’ll look at the pilot, the machine and the environment,” Knudson said. “We’ll lay out the facts and circumstances of the accident. We start with everything on the table and we gradually eliminate.”