Survivor Of 2012 Plane Crash Which Killed Fellow ORU Grads Releases Book

It's a story of survival and hope following a airplane crash in Kansas more than a year ago. Hannah Luce is back in Tulsa to sign her book about the crash that killed four men associated with Oral Roberts University.

Monday, October 28th 2013, 7:25 am

By: News On 6


The lone survivor of a 2012 plane crash hopes her story of survival helps others find peace. Hannah Luce lived through the crash that killed four men associated with Oral Roberts University.

Luce's story is quite remarkable. The crash landing caused the plane to cartwheel. She had burns on 30 percent of her body.

She hopes her new book honors the men who died and inspires others. Hannah Luce talked to friends and supporters Monday night as she signed copies of her book, titled "Fields of Grace."

"People today need a story of hope and I believe that's what it is: a story of hope," said Tulsa resident Geneva Troyer.

Luce has become an inspiration to her fellow missionaries, as well as members of the ORU family.

She was with pilot Luke Sheets, 23, of Wisconsin; Stephen Luth, 22, of Iowa; Garrett Coble, 29, of Tulsa; and Austin Anderson, 27, of Enid when their plane crashed near Chanute, Kansas in May 2012 after taking off from Jones Riverside Airport.

9/6/2013 Related Story: NTSB: Cabin Heater To Blame For Kansas Plane Crash That Killed ORU Grads

Luce was the sole survivor.

All of them were headed to a Teen Mania conference in Council Bluffs, Iowa when the twin-engine Cessna 401 went down.

The National Transportation Safety Board said the plane's heater system caught fire, filling the plane with dark smoke, obscuring everyone's vision.

"It's more than just one moment for me, because I've been living that moment over and over and over, almost every single day since that day," Luce said.

Luce said she wrote the book for a number of reasons: it's a memorial for her friends, she hopes it can help others on their journey of faith, and all of her proceeds are going to fund a ministry that will aid refugees around the world, starting with Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

Luce, who lives in Chicago now, sat down with News On 6 Anchor Terry Hood for an exclusive interview Sunday.

She recounted her terrifying ordeal.

"My body is dangling from the plane, essentially halfway in and halfway out. I'm on fire," Luce said.

Luce said her wounds are healing, but she told Terry the physical and mental toll of the crash is still with her.

"Yeah, I still go through pain. Yeah, I still have it and I'm still going through the process of my grief, because its barely been a year. Yet, at the same time, I feel compelled by the boys to make them proud," Luce said.

That book is available at Mardel and Amazon.com.

We're planning to have much more from Hannah Luce in the coming month, with more of her one-on-one interview with Terry Hood.

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