MONROE COUNTY, Ill. (KMOV/Gray News) – Authorities say a father and his adult son were killed in a plane crash after attending an MLB game.
According to the National Transportation Safety Board, an investigation into the crash of a Beech 95-B55 airplane has been opened.
Investigators say they believe the plane crashed before 11 p.m. on Thursday, with the aircraft not being located until after 7:30 a.m. on Friday by rescuers.
The crashed plane was found by a medical helicopter within a tree line adjacent to a field in rural Monroe County.
“The missing private aircraft has been located, and the operation has transitioned from a search and rescue mission to a recovery operation. Tragically, fatalities have been confirmed,” the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department shared.
The plane’s 48-year-old pilot and his 22-year-old son, both residents of Oklahoma, were the ones killed in the crash.
Authorities said preliminary information indicated the plane departed from St. Louis Regional Airport and was en route to Siloam Springs Municipal Airport in Arkansas when it went down.
Investigators noted that the father and son had attended a St. Louis Cardinals baseball game before the crash.
Officials said developing severe weather may have contributed to the crash, but it remains early in the investigation. Flight data showed the plane appearing to begin a turn, possibly to avoid a storm, before entering what appeared to be a descending spiral.
The NTSB said it has two investigators en route to the crash scene. They ask anyone with information that could assist in their investigation to email witness@ntsb.gov.
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