Seven people are dead after a plane crashed at Hanscom Field in Massachusetts last night as the flight was en route for Atlantic City, NJ. Among the dead is 72-year-old Lewis Katz, the recent co-owner of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

A spokesperson for the Massachusetts Port Authority told the Associated Press:

The Gulfstream IV crashed as it was leaving Hanscom Field at about 9:40 p.m. Saturday for Atlantic City International Airport in New Jersey, said Matthew Brelis.

There were no survivors in the crash, and no other names have been confirmed. The editor of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Bill Marimow, confirmed the news of Katz's death to the paper.

"Lewis Katz was an exceptional man, whose presence enriched the lives of everyone he came in contact with," said Marimow, the Inquirer's editor. "He never forgot his friends or his roots, giving back generously to the city of Camden, Temple University, Dickinson College's law school, the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and countless other organizations. . . . He loved his family and his friends and they loved him back in return. We've lost a great friend."

Katz, along with his partner H.F. "Gerry" Lenfest, had recently won a private bid for the paper and its parent company, for $80 million on May 27 after disputes over the firing of Marimow.

Katz, who grew up in Camden, New Jersey, made his fortune investing in the Kinney Parking empire and the Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network in New York. He once owned the NBA's New Jersey Nets and the NHL's New Jersey Devils and was a major donor to Temple University, his alma mater.

The crash is still under investigation by the Massachusetts State Police and the National Transportation Safety Board this morning.

[Image via NECN]