Philadelphia Inquirer owner among dead in private plane crash

Newspaper owner Lewis Katz has been confirmed to be among seven people who died Saturday night after a private plane they were traveling in crashed at a Massachusetts airfield.

Katz, the 72-year-old co-owner of The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Daily News and Philly.com, was on the Gulfstream IV jet heading to Atlantic City International Airport in New Jersey, his business partner Harold H.F. ‘Gerry’ Lenfest said.

The plane crashed as it was leaving Hanscom Field at about 9:40 p.m. Saturday, said Matthew Brelis, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Port Authority, which operates the airfield.

"There were no survivors," Brelis added. The names of the other passengers has not been released.

The crash comes just days after Katz and Lenfest bought out business partners for $88 million, giving them control of the media company which owns the Philadelphia Inquirer.

"We all deeply mourn the loss of my true friend and fellow investor in ownership of The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Daily News and Philly.com," Lenfest told the Inquirer. "It is a severe loss, but I am pleased to announce that Drew Katz, Lewis's son, will replace his father on the board of our new company."

Katz made his money investing in the Kinney Parking empire and the Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network in New York. At one time he owned the NBA's New Jersey Nets and the NHL's New Jersey Devils. Katz was a major donor to his alma mater Temple University.

Officials also did not speculate as to what caused the crash. They said the National Transportation Safety Board would investigate and determine what happened.

Nearby residents witnessed an explosion and felt the blast of the explosion shake their homes.

Jeff Patterson told The Boston Globe he saw a fireball about 60 feet in the air and suspected the worst for those aboard the plane.

"I heard a big boom, and I thought at the time that someone was trying to break into my house because it shook it," said Patterson's son, 14-year-old Jared Patterson. "I thought someone was like banging on the door trying to get in."

The airfield, which serves the public, was closed after the crash. Brelis said responders were still on the scene early Sunday morning.

An aviation expert who spoke to New England Cable News said various explanations for the explosion were possible.

"The engine could implode, if you will," said Steve Cunningham of Nashua Flight Simulator. "A turbine wheel could separate, there could be a fire in the combustion chamber. Or a fuel leak could also create a fire of that nature."

Hanscom Field is about 20 miles northwest of Boston. It was used by the Army Air Corps and military operations dominated until it became both a military and civilian facility in the 1950s. Massport currently manages it as a regional airport serving mostly corporate aviation, private pilots, commuter air services, and some light cargo.

Al Jazeera and The Associated Press