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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Police in Tennessee identified those killed in a fiery small plane crash next to Interstate 40 on Monday as a family of five from Canada.
The pilot was Victor Dotsenko, 43, and the passengers were his wife Rimma, 39, and their three children, David, 12, Adam, 10, and Emma, 7, Metro Nashville Police said in a news release.
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The Mayor of King Township, where the family lived, released a statement on Thursday calling the deaths “a heartbreaking and devastating loss for our tight-knit community.”
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“While we await further details from the ongoing investigation, our thoughts and prayers are with the loved ones of the victims during this incredibly difficult time,” the statement from Mayor Steve Pellegrini reads. “We also extend our gratitude to the first responders and officials involved in the response and investigation.”
The UMCA Rich Tree Academy posted a statement saying the three children were “part of the UMCA family for many years.”
“These beautiful children lit up our hallways every day. They all had such a positive energy and attitude towards their friends and teachers,” the statement reads. “Words cannot express the profound sadness and grief we are experiencing as we mourn the loss of the Dotsenko family.”
Their flight originated in Ontario and made stops in Pennsylvania and Kentucky, likely to refuel, before attempting to land in Nashville at dusk on Monday evening, NTSB investigator Aaron McCarter said at a Tuesday news conference.
Victor Dotsenko radioed to air traffic controllers at around 7:40 p.m. saying his engine has shut down. He said he overflew John C. Tune airport, just west of downtown, at 2500 feet (762 meters) and circled back around, according to a recording of the transmissions.
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“I’m going to be landing — I don’t know where!” Dotsenko said.
The air traffic controller told him they were clearing a runway and urged him to try to glide in.
But he said they had already descended to 1600 feet (488 meters), and in his last transmission he said, “I’m too far away. I’m not going to make it.”
One witness said the plane plunged earthward at a 45-degree angle, hitting the grass next to the eastbound lanes and bursting into flames.
McCarter said they packed up the wreckage for transport to a facility in Springfield, Tennessee, where the plane will be reassembled. The NTSB will have a preliminary report out in about 10 days. The full report will take about nine months.
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