3 Pakistani-American physicians die in Chicago plane crash

Senior air safety investigator says no distress call was sent from the plane, it simply dropped off the radar

WASHINGTON: Three US physicians of Pakistani origin were killed Sunday night in a plane crash in a dense Chicago suburban neighbourhood.

Authorities believed the pilot had desperately tried to land in a vacant plot to minimize damage.

The twin-engine Beechcraft Baron crashed in Palos Hills, Illonois, shortly after takeoff from Chicago Midway Airport for Lawrence, Kansas, said Lynn Lunsford of the Federal Aviation Administration.

According to US media reports, Palos Hills Deputy Police Chief James Boie said given the spot where the plane crashed and statements by neighbours - who told authorities it appeared the plane was circling before it crashed - make it a real possibility that the pilot tried to save the lives of people in the neighborhood.

"I'd like to think that," he said. "That is the only vacant plot in four blocks."

Tausif Rehman, 34, a neurosurgeon at Stormont-Vail HealthCare in Topeka, Kansas, flew to Chicago to visit a friend. Accompanying Rehman were Ali Kanchwala, 36, a close friend and a pulmonologist who also worked at Stormont-Vail HealthCare, and Kanchwala's wife, Maria Javaid, 37, a cardiologist at Providence Medical Center in Kansas City, Kansas.

All three were identified in a release from Stormont-Vail this afternoon and by Javaid's brother, Bilal Javaid.

"Dr Rehman and Dr Kanchwala were extremely valued, highly skilled and beloved members of our staff," said Randy Peterson, president and chief executive officer of Stormont-Vail HealthCare. "We are heartbroken. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of these individuals and the staff who worked closely with them."

No distress call was sent from the plane, said John Brannen, senior air safety investigator for the NTSB. "The plane simply dropped off the radar," Brannen explained.

The pilot, Rehman, had a private license and was trained on single and multi-engine planes, Brannen said.

"He was a pretty good pilot, and I flew with him many times," said Ahsan Awan - a close friend of Rehman. "He was always very careful; I have no idea how this could have happened,” he said.