Governor Kelly said the state will be pushing federal officials for answers in Wednesday’s plane crash involving a Wichita flight to Washington D.C.
The governor joined Wichita and Sedgwick County officials for a news conference Thursday to provide updates on the response to the crash. She said her office has been in constant communication with federal officials on the crash. The governor also expressed appreciation for the efforts in Wichita to provide support to the families affected by the crash.  She said all levels of government came together to respond to the crash and provide support for the affected families.

Sedgwick County Commission chairman Ryan Baty said COMCARE, Emergency Management, United Way, the Red Cross and other agencies met to talk about services for the community. They’re looking at a hotline to connect people with mental health services and other resources.

Wichita’s director of airports, Jesse Romo, said the daily flight to Washington was canceled for Thursday evening but he expects the flights to resume on Friday.

Wichita Mayor Lily Wu said “We grieve this loss together and we grieve deeply, but in this dark time the light can be found in people raising their hand, showing up and offering help.”  She said she is grateful for the support provided by the community to those affected by the tragedy.

Wichita Foundation spokespersons Shelly Pritchard and Courtney Bengtson announced the creation of a community fund called ICT Together to help impacted families.  It will be used for crisis remediation, help with mental health services and other needs.  They are working with the Greater Washington Community Foundation and other groups in the Virginia area to work out details.  More information is available through the web site ict-together.org.