Two killed in plane crash near Waterloo, Illinois; Victims were father and son

MONROE COUNTY, Ill. - Authorities say two people - a father and his son - were killed in a plane crash overnight near Waterloo, Illinois. The National Transportation Safety Board says it has opened an investigation into the crash of a Breech 95-B55 airplane near Waterloo, Illinois. The crash happened sometime late Thursday evening or early Friday morning. The Monroe County Sheriff's Office first received reports of the crash around 2:30 a.m. Friday. Around 7:40 a.m. Friday, a search team found the plane in field in rural Monroe County, behind the Columbia Quarry near T Road, about five miles south of Waterloo. Two occupants in the plane - the pilot and one passenger - died from their injuries. Investigators say the two occupants were a 48-year-old male pilot and his 22-year-old son, both residents of Oklahoma. Their identities have not yet been disclosed. "Preliminary information indicates the aircraft departed from St. Louis Regional Airport in Bethalto, Illinois, and was enroute to Siloam Springs Municipal Airport in Arkansas. Investigators have learned the pilot and his son attended a St. Louis Cardinals baseball game prior to departing on their return flight home," said the Monroe County Sheriff's Office via a news release. Based upon preliminary information currently available, investigators believe the plane departed as inclement weather arrived in Missouri. "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," said the sheriff's office. "Radar contact was subsequently lost. These findings are preliminary and remain subject to further investigation by federal authorities." Crews first searched for the plane early Friday morning before sunrise, but weather conditions hampered search efforts for several hours before authorities found the site of the plane crash. The Waterloo Fire Department, Maeystown Fire Department, Monroe County Sheriff’s Department, the Monroe County Coroner’s Office, Federal Aviation Administration and NTSB have all assisted with the investigation. The FAA and NTSB will continue to lead the investigation and determine the official cause of the crash.