October 29, 2002

N-T-S-B on way to Wellstone crash site

Eveleth, Minnesota-AP -- Federal investigators are on their way to northern Minnesota, where a plane crash has killed Senator Paul Wellstone and seven others.

The F-B-I is at the scene already, while the National Transportation Safety Board team is en route.It's still unclear just what caused the plane to go down. F-B-I Agent Paul McCabe says he has no knowledge of any distress calls being received before the crash.He says the plane is sitting in a wooded area typical of the region. But he says the terrain nearby will make the investigation a bit more difficult. He calls it a "real unpleasant piece of property" -- with swampland forcing investigators to use all-terrain vehicles to get in and out.McCabe says the plane burned after it crashed, so the fuselage suffered a lot of damage. He says recovery of the eight bodies won't happen in "the immediate future." Copyright 2002 Associated Press. All rights reserved. T

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