Crash Being Investigated

Authorities on Saturday were trying to determine whether rainy, foggy weather contributed to the crash of a small plane that killed the only person on board Friday afternoon.

The single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza plunged into a densely wooded area about a mile from Atlantic City International Airport, where the plane had been cleared to land.

The plane took off from Columbia, S.C., with one person aboard, said Jim Peters, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration.

Hamilton Township police identified the victim as Raymond C. Elan, 68, of Columbia, S.C.

An hour after the crash, the wreckage continued to burn, sending up a plume of gray smoke. Search and rescue workers in silver protective suits with hoods picked through the fuselage, which was mostly crumpled and blackened from the fire.

The plane's tail number was N256PR, according to the FAA. That plane, built in 1973, is registered to Ray's Aviation Inc. of Wilmington, Del.

The airport is located about 10 miles west of Atlantic City and handles a variety of air traffic, including commercial passenger aircraft, military fighter jets and small private planes.

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