DEMOPOLIS, Ala. (AP) - A small plane crashed in Alabama after one of its engines failed, killing a family of seven onboard, authorities said Sunday.
Marengo County Coroner Stuart Eatmon said the couple and their five young children were returning to Florida from a family reunion in St. Louis when the crash happened Saturday night.
They tried landing the Cessna C421 at an airport in Demopolis after it lost its right engine Saturday night, Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Holly Baker said in an email. The plane - which was flying from St. Louis to Destin, Fla. - crashed in a wooded area within two miles of the airport.
Eatmon identified the dead as: Fred Teutenberg, 42; his wife, Terresa, who was in her mid-30s; their daughter Emma, 2; their son Peyton, 4; their daughter Ellie, 6; their son Brendon, 9; and their son Will, 10. They are from the Destin area.
The coroner said that relatives told him the Teutenbergs were flying back Saturday so they could make it to church the next day.
Searchers found the plane around 2:17 a.m. Sunday. The crash site was in a densely wooded area.
Eatmon said the plane was upside-down and one of its wings had broken off, apparently as it crashed into trees.
FAA records show that the plane was built in 1978. It's registered to Advanced Integrated Technology Solutions LLC in Niceville, Fla. A message left seeking comment from the company wasn't immediately returned.