OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — Residents who live next to Johnson County Executive Airport in Olathe spent Wednesday recalling the moments a plane crashed, killing two people.
Some of the first 9-1-1 calls made to emergency dispatchers came from residents who live nearby the airport, which sits between 151st Street on the north, 159th Street on the South, Pflumm Road on the west and Quivira Road on the east.
On Wednesday, the Kansas Highway Patrol eleased the names of the victims in Tuesday's crash as, Jonathan Vannatta and Darcy Matthews. The DEA confirmed Vannatta was a Special Agent with the agency and told 41 Action News he was not on official business when the plane he was flying went down.
Vannatta's passenger did not work fr the DEA.
“We just heard a boom and then all of a sudden everything started happening," nearby resident, Angel Nevado said.
According to the crash report - the single engine aircraft began falling straight down shortly after takeoff, crashing just feet from Morse Village Apartments.
“It’s just a matter of wow it just happened in our backyard," Nevado said.
Terri Dichiser and her husband Bill live a few doors down from the Nevados and said they heard the plane crash.
“I ran out of the bathroom and said there’s been a plane crash we ran out the door and ran out here to the yard and our neighbor was calling 911," Dichiser said.
“We weren’t even allowed to go back there and look or anything they stopped us at the fence and told us to get back," Nevado said. “It’s sad that you know as I was sitting there just thinking oh that was a just hard landing I was wondering what could I have done if I had got there a little sooner because it’s only 200-yards away.”
The NTSB investigators arrived on site Wednesday and will take the lead in the crash investigation.
“He’ll make sure to find what we call all four corners of the airplane to wings the propeller and the tail to make sure all the major components are there for," NTSB spokesperson Eric Weiss said.
From there, Weiss says investigators will examine the wings and cockpit to look for anything that can paint a portrait of the last moments in flight.
“Any electronics whether it’s an iPad a GPS unit, even a cell phone can be helpful to investigators,” Weiss said.
“What a tragedy it was, how quick it happened I mean it was just we heard the plane and the crash, it was just flames and that was it," Dichiser said.
After the wreckage is examined and detailed, it will be moved to a secure location for the duration of the investigation which can take 18-24 months.
A preliminary report will take roughly two to three weeks.
Members of the investigation will include the manufacturer of the air frame and the the manufacturer of the engine, as well as the FAA.
