A tragic accident claimed the lives of a father and his 22-year-old son when their light aircraft seemingly flew into an emerging storm while they were returning from a St. Louis Cardinals baseball game. Investigators noted that the plane appeared to attempt a final turn before it disastrously spiraled into a wooded area in rural Illinois.
The 48-year-old pilot and his son took off from St. Louis Regional Airport in Bethalto on Thursday night, charting a course for Siloam Springs Municipal Airport located in Arkansas. Unfortunately, their journey concluded with a crash near Waterloo, Illinois, according to a statement from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department.
The tragic victims have been identified as Jimmy Don Lewis and Brayden Ty Lewis, the Monroe County Coroner’s Office confirmed to KSDK.
Pictured flying an aircraft, Jimmy Don Lewis and Brayden Ty Lewis appear in the foreground. (Facebook/kelsey.lewis.927)
Investigators have reported that the father and son enjoyed an evening at a Cardinals game before embarking on their return flight in what is believed to have been a Beechcraft Baron 55 private airplane.
“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.
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.
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.