UMaine: Plane Crash Victims were Frat Brothers
By: Administrator
Updated: November 17, 2012
OWLS HEAD, Maine (AP) -- The University of Maine has identified the three victims of a fiery plane crash as two current students and one alumnus.
The school and Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity said Saturday that the victims were 22-year-old David Cheney, of Beverly, Mass.; 24-year-old Marcelo Rugini, an exchange student from Brazil; and 24-year-old William "B.J." Hannigan III, of South Portland.
All three were members of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. Cheney was the fraternity's president.
The plane was taking off at the Knox County Regional Airport on Friday night when it struck a pickup truck. A deputy sheriff says the truck was authorized to be on airport grounds. The plane continued to climb but then spiraled downward into thick woods and burst into flames.
The university says DNA tests to confirm the identities aren't expected until Wednesday.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.
