Prelminary Report by NTSB on Teutenberg Family Plane Crash Issued

The National Transportation Safety Board has issued its preliminary report regarding the  loss of life of the Fred Teutenberg family July 9 over Central Alabama.

Teutenberg was a 1987 graduate of MICDS and resided in Ladue during his school years. The family members, two adults and five young children lived in Niceville, Florida at the time of the crash.

The NTSB report indicates that Teutenberg had trouble with his right engine on his Cessna 421C and placed an emergency call to the Atlanta Traffic Center. He was instructed to make an emergency landing in Demopolis, Alabama and had the landing strip in sight when he disappeared from the radar screen.

Just three miles from the airport, the controller approved Teutenberg for a visual approach landing and a radio frequency change according to preliminary reports from the NTSB. There were no more communications from the plane, and rescuers came upon the wreckage in a wooded area early Sunday morning. The plane was so hot, they had to wait hours before removing bodies from the site.

The Teutenbergs had been in St. Louis to attend a family reunion and they cut the visit short to return to Niceville for church services on Sunday.

The family is survived by 16-year-old Ashlei Brewer, daughter of the late Teresa Teutenberg. The daughter was reportedly sick, and decided not to make the flight back to Florida with the rest of the family.

Teutenberg, 42, was the son of businessman Fred Teutenberg Sr., known as the former promoter of the Dirt Cheap liquor and tobacco chain.

Fred Teutenberg was well remembered by high school friends as a skilled musician and goalie on the school’s soccer team.

A final report from the NTSB will be released later this year.