Girls Killed In Conn. Plane Crash Remembered As Loving Sisters
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Two girls who died when a plane crashed into their Connecticut home a week ago were remembered as cheerful, smart and loving sisters.
Hundreds of mourners packed a New Haven church Friday for the funeral of 13-year-old Sade Brantley and 1-year-old Madisyn Mitchell. Their bodies were placed together in a single white casket, surrounded by bouquets of flowers.
Pastor Robert Middleton said the girls died in a horrific incident that also saw "a lot of good people standing up,'' including neighbors and first responders who tried to rescue the girls.
East Haven firefighters and police officers as well as the mayors of East Haven and New Haven were also on hand for Friday's services.
The girls' mother, Joann Mitchell, survived the Aug. 9 accident in East Haven.
The 10-seat plane crashed into two homes near Tweed-New Haven Airport during its approach. Officials with the National Transportation Safety Board said the plane, a Rockwell International Turbo Commander 690B, was upside down when it hit the houses at a 60-degree angle.
A preliminary NTSB report is expected within two weeks.
Also killed were the pilot, 54-year-old former Microsoft executive Bill Henningsgaard, and his 17-year-old son, Maxwell.
On Tuesday, police said a china tea set Maxwell bought for his mother had been recovered from the wreckage. Susan Henningsgaard told authorities her son had purchased the set last week while on a tour of colleges with his dad.
Funeral information wasn't available for Maxwell and his father.
The two heavily damaged homes, which caught fire after the accident, were expected to be torn down this week.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
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