Four members of a Utah family were killed Friday morning in a plane crash in western Texas County. There is one survivor.
Texas County Coroner Tom Whittaker said the accident apparently occurred around 6:45 a.m. as the plane attempted to take off from a grass runway behind a home at 9351 Highway M – about one mile south of Highway AE – in the Huggins area. A witness said the plane (a Beechcraft 36) went into a steep climb and got about 100 feet off the ground when it stalled and crashed to the ground.
Sgt. Jeff Kinder of the Missouri State Highway Patrol said the victims were Charles “Mark” Openshaw and Amy Openshaw, 43, and their children, Tanner, 15, and Ellie, 12. The survivor was their 5-year-old son. He was taken by Air Evac to a Springfield hospital.
The family lived in Provo, Utah, and was returning home, according to Kinder.Â
Charles, who went by Mark, was the son of Doc and Linda Openshaw, who owned the property. They are also the owners of Walt’s Convenience Store in Roby.
Charles M. Openshaw was a member of the Utah State Board of Education and was elected in 2008 and in 2012. He was the founder and president of AirComUSA, which provides fax to email and email to fax services and enhanced toll- and toll-free telecommunication services.
He had five children, according to the Deseret News.
Utah House Speaker Greg Hughes called Openshaw a “champion of education reform” dedicated to advancing available technology and innovation in the classroom.
Utah Gov. Gary Herbert also issued a statement on Openshaw’s passing.
“I am shocked and saddened to learn today of the tragic passing of Mark Openshaw and members of his family,” Herbert said. “He was a strong advocate for Utah students and exemplary in his service on the State Board of Education. His service also extended to his community and church. He will be greatly missed. The First Lady and I wish to express our condolences to the Openshaw family at this difficult time.”
ARCHIVES: Worst western Texas County plane crash since 1971