The victims were identified as 48-year-old pilot Jimmy Don Lewis and his 22-year-old son, Brayden Ty Lewis.
According to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department, via PEOPLE, the Beechcraft Baron 55 departed Thursday night from St. Louis Regional Airport in Bethalto, Illinois, and was headed to Siloam Springs Municipal Airport in Arkansas.
The aircraft was reported missing early Friday, prompting a search that was delayed by poor weather conditions, including rain, low clouds and limited visibility. An air medical helicopter later located the wreckage in a rural area of Monroe County.
Investigators believe the plane departed into an area of developing severe weather.
In a statement, the sheriff’s department said flight data indicated the aircraft appeared to begin a turn, possibly in an attempt to avoid the storm, before entering what investigators described as a descending spiral. Radar contact was then lost.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash. Officials have not determined a cause.
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Department extended its condolences to the Lewis family and thanked the agencies involved in the search and recovery effort.
Authorities said the father and son had attended the MLB game before beginning their flight home.
