By Mindy Ragan Wood
Staff Writer
The identities of two victims in a plane crash Monday afternoon at Yukon’s Sundance Airport have been released by the Oklahoma City Medical Examiner’s Office.
Britton Lee, 43, and Doug Durning, 60, died after the corporate jet they were flying landed upside down on the runway around 3:30 p.m.
It was apparent that patrons and employees of the Sundance Airport were close to the two who lost their lives. A crowd gathered inside the airport with sadness and concern etched on their faces.
“Obviously this is a somber day at the Sundance Airport. It is difficult to find the words to express our sadness,” said Sundance Airport spokeswoman Deborah Floyd. “Everyone at Sundance is family. It’s a close community here.”
Airport general manager Justin Skaggs could scarcely hold back tears. He was too emotional to speak about those who died.
It was not clear if Lee or Durning was flying the airplane. Oklahoma City Fire Department spokesman David Macy said the two victims were returning from a job.
“They were returning from the Grand Cayman Islands,” Macy said. “They were dropping some folks off and they were both with a corporate company that flies people. They were flying in from north to south.”
The plane is owned by Sundance Airport and is a 1970s model, twin engine IAI Westwind which has two seats for pilots and eight for passengers. The weather was clear.
“There was no post-crash fire,” said Macy, who did not know the cause of the crash.
Oklahoma City police and fire crews worked the scene until Federal Aviation Administration officials took over the investigation.
Macy did not know if any radio communications were active between the pilot and the airport control center. He could not confirm if the plane contained a black box which is used to record mechanical incidents before a crash.
