Federal investigators probe NLV airplane crash

Monday, July 25, 2005 | 9:17 a.m.

Federal investigators began a preliminary examination Sunday of the wreckage of a small plane that crashed Thursday at the North Las Vegas Airport.

The six-seat, twin-engine plane carrying U.S. Forest Service firefighters to scout wildfires in the Spring Mountains hit the runway nose first after lifting off about 5:07 p.m., witnesses said.

After the crash, television news cameras showed someone fleeing the plane and then rescuing another person. Rescuers had to free the pilot from the wreckage.

The pilot, Jonathan Stairs, was still hospitalized Sunday at University Medical Center, Forest Service spokeswoman Beth Short said. At the request of his family, no further information was available, she said. He is a contract pilot working for the Forest Service.

Passenger Ron Rucker, a Redmond, Ore., firefighter with the Forest Service, was treated and released late Thursday.

Passenger Margery Kuehn-Tabor, also a firefighter known as a smoke jumper, with the Forest Service from Grangeville, Idaho, was listed in fair condition Sunday.

Representatives of the National Transportation Safety Board's investigating team arrived in Las Vegas on Friday and began their probe on Sunday, according to Short. The investigation into the wreck can take six months to a year to complete.

Officials said the Aero Commander made in 1964 had flown previous missions to scout for forest fires.

The plane is owned by Commander Northwest of East Wenatchee, Wash. The owner of Commander Northwest died in 2001 with four other people in a crash while en route to Wenatchee from Reno.