Tuesday

morning, investigators were closely examining the

wreckage from the fatal plane crash at Falcon

Field Saturday that claimed the lives of three

Atlanta area residents.

They

were looking for any clues of mechanical problems

that could have occurred before the crash, said

Phil Powell, an investigator from the National

Transportation Safety Board.

"There

was quite a lot of displacement with the engine

and propeller," Powell said near the crash

scene Saturday afternoon. But he saw nothing out

of the ordinary, comparing the scene to other

crashes he has investigated.

The

plane, a 1967 Cessna 172 model, had taken off

from the airstrip moments before crashing into a

wooded area next to the runway, Powell said. The

aircraft, which was rented from Peachtree Flight

Center, came to rest near the Planterra Ridge

golf course.

Witnesses

saw the plane begin to spin after it took flight,

Powell said. During the spin, the aircraft's nose

aimed downward before the plane hit the ground

nose-first, he added.

The

force of the crash immediately killed the pilot,

Robert J. Leach Jr. of Atlanta, said Fayette

County Coroner C.J. Mowell.

Both

of the passengers, William Brock Senft of Atlanta

and Francie Ziegler of Tucker, were flown by

helicopter to Atlanta-area hospitals, Mowell

said. Senft died at Grady Hospital during surgery

Saturday afternoon and Ziegler died Saturday

evening at Atlanta Medical Center, the coroner

added.

Emergency

crews from Peachtree City's Fire and Rescue

Department had difficulty extricating the

passengers because the passenger compartment was

severely compacted, Lohr said.

Despite

those challenges, Ziegler was in flight after 34

minutes while Senft was on his way after an hour,

the chief said.

Helicopters

from Phoenix Air and MedServe Air landed on the

17th hole of the golf course to await the two

victims, who were first stabilized for flight.

One

of the plane's wings broke off, causing fuel to

spill in the area. The fuel never ignited,

although it presented a danger and forced

emergency workers to exercise more caution than

normal, Fire Chief Lohr added.

No

information has been released relating to any

possible cause of the accident. A full report on

the crash won't be complete for approximately six

months, Powell estimated.

Neither

of the victims was able to tell personnel what

happened before the crash, Powell said.

There

is no indication that the pilot had time to radio

for help before the crash, Powell said. The trio

had planned to return to Peachtree City later in

the day, he added.

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