OWATONNA, MN---Federal investigators are planning a hearing over the cause of a Southern Minnesota plane crash.
On July 31, 2008, a corporate jet slammed into a corn field after it touched down and its pilot attempted a go-around at the Owatonna Degner Regional Airport.
The National Weather Service had issued severe thunderstorm watches and warnings for the area earlier on the morning of the crash.
At this point it is unclear if weather played a significant factor.
But a preliminary NTSB report noted that "visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and an instrument flight rules flight plan had been filed and activated for the flight, but had been cancelled before the landing."
The Hawker Beechcraft was operated by East Coast Jets and was enroute from Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Eight people onboard died, including pilots Dan D'Ambrosio and Clark Keefer, who were both from Pennsylvania.
The other 6 onboard were people from the Revel Entertainment Group and Tishman Construction Corporation.
The group was heading to Minnesota for a glass manufacturing meeting with Owatonna-based Viracon, which serves customers around the world.
National Transportation Safety Board spokesperson Terry Williams said the case βis going to the board.β
Williams said most investigations don't go before the agency's 5 appointed members, but this case will.
Investigators will present their findings and analysis to the NTSB in Washington, DC sometime this summer.
Williams said the hearing could last 3-to-4 hours and the panel is expected to have questions.
He said during the session a determination of probable cause will be made and recommendations will be issued at that time.
The NTSB has yet to release anything more than preliminary data about the crash itself.
Williams could not say why the investigation has taken this long.
He said there is no set time for how long investigations take, the agency is working on a number of things at one time and they are "getting to it as quickly as we can."
