MONROE COUNTY, Ill. — An hours-long overnight search ended Friday morning when emergency crews located the wreckage of a small plane in a tree line south of Waterloo, confirming that two Oklahomans — a 48-year-old pilot and his 22-year-old son — were killed.
Search complicated by storms, crews found wreckage near quarry
Monroe County sheriff’s deputies were dispatched after 2:30 a.m. to reports of a possible aircraft crash. Rain, low cloud cover and poor visibility hampered the response and prompted a multi-agency operation involving local law enforcement, firefighters, EMS and emergency management personnel. Responders located the crash site just before 8 a.m. in a tree line behind the Columbia Quarry near T Road.
Investigators say the aircraft departed from St. Louis Regional Airport in Bethalto, Illinois, bound for Siloam Springs Municipal Airport in Arkansas. Officials later learned the pilot and his son attended a St. Louis Cardinals game earlier in the day before beginning their return trip.
Preliminary flight data points to severe weather
Early flight data indicates the plane took off into an area of developing severe weather. Investigators say the aircraft appeared to begin a turn, possibly to avoid a storm, before entering what was described as a descending spiral. Radar contact was lost after that sequence.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are leading the investigation; authorities have not released the victims’ names or the official cause of the crash. The inquiry is ongoing.
- Dispatch time: just after 2:30 a.m.
- Wreckage found: just before 8 a.m.
- Origin: St. Louis Regional Airport, Bethalto, Ill.
- Destination: Siloam Springs Municipal Airport, Ark.
- Victims: a 48-year-old Oklahoma pilot and his 22-year-old son (both killed)
| Event | Time |
|---|---|
| Emergency calls received | Shortly after 2:30 a.m. |
| Wreckage located | Just before 8 a.m. |
For residents and pilots in Oklahoma and surrounding states, the crash underscores how quickly weather can escalate during small, regional flights. When storms are in the forecast, federal and local agencies recommend checking detailed weather briefings, considering delays, and contacting flight service stations for up-to-date advisories before departure.
Officials with the NTSB and FAA will analyze radar, engine and airframe data, as well as maintenance and pilot records. That process can take weeks to months; investigators will release findings when available.
Local authorities have not provided further information on the identities of the victims or the family’s ties in Oklahoma. The Monroe County Sheriff’s Department and federal investigators continue to handle the active inquiry.
