OHP: Witnesses say plane could not gain altitude before deadly crash in Goldsby pasture

Two people were killed in a small plane crash in Goldsby on Monday, and witnesses told law enforcement that the aircraft struggled to gain altitude before it went down in a pasture. Oklahoma Highway Patrol confirmed two adult men were in the plane at the time of the crash. Investigators said the plane had taken off from Paradise Air Haven Airport, a small airport in McClain County, at about 11 a.m. before it went down in a pasture about a mile away from the airport. The Federal Aviation Administration said the aircraft was a Bellanca Cruisair, a model built in the 1950s. >> Video Below: 2 killed in McClain County plane crash, OHP saysOHP said multiple witnesses reported seeing the plane struggle to climb and stay in the air before it crashed off East Cottonwood Road. "We know that they took off from the Paradise Air Haven Airport and then were unable to climb, and they crashed," Lt. Mark Southall with Oklahoma Highway Patrol said. "It came down into a pasture where it caught fire and killed two of the occupants." The two men on board died in the crash. Their identities have not yet been released. >> Video Below: NTSB begins investigation into Goldsby plane crash that killed 2 menEmergency vehicles remained on scene for hours as the investigation was ongoing. The National Transportation Safety Board will lead the investigation into what caused the crash. One of its investigators was headed to the scene to begin that process. Once the wreckage is fully documented, the NTSB will move the plane to a secure facility where investigators will do further examinations, which include reviewing the plane's maintenance records, weather conditions and flight data. The NTSB expects the preliminary report in about 30 days.