Hong Kong -- A local physician and his wife died last night after the small airplane they were traveling in crashed soon after takeoff at Hong Kong International Airport, investigators said. Note: You could say "investigators," "police" or "an airport official." Although if you chose the last one, you would have 'airport' twice in your lead. OR

Hong Kong -- A prominent local physician and his wife died last night after the small airplane they were traveling in crashed in stormy weather soon after takeoff at Hong Kong International Airport, investigators said. OR

Hong Kong -- A prominent local physician and his wife heading to their vacation died last night after the small airplane they were traveling in crashed in stormy weather soon after takeoff at Hong Kong International Airport, investigators said.

Cardiac surgeon Dr. Phillip Tsui and his wife Lydia were killed after the single-engine plane they were aboard crashed in a field next to a runway at the airport, said Hong Kong police Lt. Henry Li. Dr. Tsui owned the plane and was piloting it at the time of the crash, Li said.

Investigators are still determining the cause of the crash. The couple was traveling aboard the plane alone when it took off during heavy rain and driving winds caused from a typhoon hitting Taiwan. “This could have been weather-related, we’re not sure yet,” said James Wang of the Hong Kong Airport Authority.

Shortly after takeoff, Dr. Tsui contacted the airport control tower to report problems controlling the plane. Soon after that, the plane crashed into a field, Wang said, adding that he estimated the time of the crash to be sometime shortly before 9:30 p.m.

Wang said he believed the couple was flying in a Cessna 172 Skyhawk, a variation of the four-seat, fixed-wing 172 model that was first produced in 1955, according to its maker. The 172 model has a range of about 687 nautical miles and can fly at speeds of up to 141 miles per hour, Cessna said on its Web site.

In a 1995 review, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association in the United States praised the 172 Skyhawk’s safety record. The airplane had a slight edge among comparative planes in terms of overall accidents per 100 aircraft, the group said. The 172 also had fewer serious accidents than its rivals, but that may be tied to it being used heavily as a training aircraft, the group said.

Dr. Tsui and his wife were flying to an exclusive resort on the northern part of Hainan Island for a holiday, Lt. Li said. Hainan is about 380 miles southwest of Hong Kong. At the scene of the crash last night, about a dozen emergency vehicles were parked in a fenced-off section of the field, their lights flashing and sirens still blaring. The site was about 200 yards away from the airport control tower. Hong Kong International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the region, handling both international and regional flights.

If you were reading this story, what more would you want to know?

What caused the accident? Was safety protocol followed at airport? The plane: What does the company say about it? What do other groups such as air safety, pilots or insurance groups say?

What was the weather like at the time of the crash? How many crashes at the airport? When was the last? Is there a pattern? Where would you go to find out more about the victims? Is Hainan Island a popular destination? Any flight delays at the airport?

Flight info: fltarr.html The plane: facts.html OR engine/skyhawk.htmlhttp:// facts.htmlhttp:// engine/skyhawk.html Plane’s safety: Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association: United States Aircraft Insurance Group: ghlights/$file/cessna_skyhawk.pdf