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Victims of Fatal UPS Plane Crash Identified

Ralph Hicks / National Transportation Safety Board

An Alabama medical examiner has identified the two crew members who died in the crash of a UPS plane this week.

   The Jefferson County, Ala., medical examiner on Thursday night identified the victims as Capt. Cerea Beal, Jr., 58, of Matthews, N.C. and First Officer Shanda Fanning, 37, of Lynchburg, Tenn.

   An ex-Marine, Beal had been with UPS since 1990. Fanning had worked with the company since 2006.

   Federal officials have found no evidence of a pre-crash fire or engine failure aboard UPS Flight 1354, which went down early Wednesday.

   National Transportation Safety Board member Robert Sumwalt says the plane was trying to land on the Birmingham airport's shorter runway because the longer one was closed for maintenance.

   The plane slammed into a hillside just short of the runway.

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