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A father and his 22-year-old son were killed when their small plane apparently flew into a developing storm on their way home from a St. Louis Cardinals game, with investigators saying the aircraft appeared to make a last-minute turn before spiraling down into a rural Illinois tree line.
The pilot, 48, and his son took off from St. Louis Regional Airport in Bethalto late Thursday and were headed to Siloam Springs Municipal Airport in Arkansas when the plane crashed near Waterloo, Illinois, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department in Illinois said in a press release.
The father and son have been identified as Jimmy Don Lewis and Brayden Ty Lewis, the Monroe County Coroner’s Office confirmed to KSDK.
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Jimmy Don Lewis and Brayden Ty Lewis, pictured in the foreground, while flying in an aircraft. (Facebook/kelsey.lewis.927)
Investigators said the pair had spent the evening at a Cardinals game before starting the flight home in what is believed to have been a Beechcraft Baron 55 private aircraft.
“Investigators believe the aircraft departed into an area of developing severe weather,” authorities said. “Flight data indicates the aircraft appeared to begin a turn, possibly in an attempt to avoid the inclement weather, before entering what appeared to be a descending spiral. Radar contact was subsequently lost.”
Jimmy Don Lewis and Brayden Ty Lewis pictured together. (Facebook/jill.lewis.311)
Emergency crews were dispatched around 2:34 a.m. Friday after reports of a possible aircraft crash south of Waterloo. Search efforts were hampered for hours by low clouds, rain and poor visibility, forcing authorities to rely on a massive multi-agency response that included specialized drone teams from Illinois and the St. Louis region.
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An ARCH Air Medical helicopter eventually located the wreckage at about 7:40 a.m. in a tree line near the Columbia Quarry after investigators narrowed the search area.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the victims’ family and loved ones,” authorities said after confirming both occupants of the aircraft had died in the crash. “Our thoughts and prayers remain with them during this incredibly difficult time.”
Kelsey Lewis told the Daily Mail that her father and brother earned their pilots’ licenses together, saying the pair “did everything together.” She also described her father as an experienced flyer.
“My dad, when it came to flying, he was very, very, cautious of everything,” Kelsey told the outlet. “Very cautious.”
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Department worked with Waterloo Fire Department, Maeystown Fire Department and the Monroe County Coroner’s Office during the investigation. The FAA and NTSB subsequently took over the investigation to determine the official cause of the crash. (Facebook/Monroe County Sheriff’s Department)
She said an apparent glitch in the aircraft’s weather-tracking system that caused the readings to be about 30 minutes off could have led to the crash.
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Representatives from the Federal Aviation Administration later assumed responsibility for the crash scene, while the National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA continue to investigate the cause of the crash.
Officials emphasized that the findings released so far are preliminary and that the federal investigation remains ongoing.