A small airplane crashes in a field near Topeka, killing four people. Jefferson County Sheriff Jeff Herrig says Richard and Amy Spencer and their two children, 7-year-old Chase and 5-year-old Ansley are the victims.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the six-seat Beechcraft was headed to Phillip Billard Airport from Scott City when it may have had engine trouble. The plan went down Friday morning about three miles northeast of the capital city.
Eyewitness News contacted several residents in Scott City Friday evening. Superintendent Don Wells spoke with us via phone. "I knew them as a young couple in the community that was active in the community," he said.
At the age of 35, Dylan Spencer owned two businesses, served on several local boards, was in his second term as county commissioner, and was a pilot.
Amy was a special education teacher and a mother. "You'd find her from time to time on the floor, right there with the kids, working on their skills," said Wells fondly. "She was a pleasure to have in the building."
Their two daughters, seven year old Chase and five year old Ansley, are remembered as happy and pleasant. "It's just hard to lose a bright young couple with charming children," said Wells.
The Superintendent added losing this family of four is also a loss to the Scott City community. "Both, as a couple, were important to our community because they were picking up the leadership vacuums that came up. They came out and did a good job."
The family was going to Topeka for the holiday weekend; friends say Amy's family is from the area.
Dylan was in a flying club in Scott City, and co-owned an airplane with another Scott City resident. But he was also trying to get his multi-engine rating, and that may be why he was in a twin engine plane, not his, on Friday.
FAA records show the plane was registered to Vulgamore Precision Ag & Seed Services LLC in Scott City.
*The Associated Press and Rebecca Gannon contributed to this report.
