Plane crash leaves Oklahoma father and son dead

MONROE COUNTY, Illinois (KFOR) - Around 2:30 a.m., the Monroe County Sheriff Department responded to a report of an aircraft crash in rural Monroe County, Illinois. Emergency personnel immediately coordinated with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to establish the aircraft’s last known location and develop an initial search area. Search efforts were hindered due to poor weather conditions, but an extensive multi-agency search operation was initiated involving ground search teams, aviation assets, law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMS personnel, drone teams, and emergency management personnel. At 7:40 a.m., the ARCH Air Medical helicopter located the aircraft crash site within a tree line adjacent to a field in rural Monroe County behind the Columbia Quarry near T Road. Two occupants of the aircraft were confirmed deceased. The victims were identified as a 48-year-old male pilot and his 22-year-old son, both residents of Oklahoma. It is believed the father and son departed from the St. Louis Regional Airport in Bethalto, Illinois. The two were enroute to Siloam Springs Municipal Airport in Arkansas. The father and son attended a St. Louis Cardinals baseball game before their departure. Although the investigation is ongoing, flight data indicates the aircraft appeared to begin a turn, possibly in an attempt to avoid the storm, before entering what appeared to be a descending spiral. Radar contact was subsequently lost. These findings are preliminary and remain subject to further investigation by federal authorities.