Two men from Texas were killed and one woman, also from Texas, was injured when their plane crashed west of the Kewanee, Illinois airport.
Initial reports indicated that the crash happened before 9:30 a.m., Sunday, August 30, 2015. The Henry County Coroner, David A. Johnson, arrived on scene around 12:30 p.m. Two people from Houston, Texas, 67-year-old Steven Murray and 38-year-old Mark Murray were pronounced dead at 12:45 p.m., Johnson said.
The other passenger on the aircraft was 40-year-old Samantha Murray, also from Houston, Texas, Johnson said. She was taken to an area hospital before being airlifted to another for treatment of an arm injury.
Johnson said the three aircraft passengers were in the area for a family gathering and had taken off out of the Kewanee Airport to head back home to Texas.
The Bishop Hill Fire Department and the Illinois State Police remained on scene. The Federal Aviation Administration was expected to arrive from Chicago to help with the investigation. The National Transportation Safety Board was also expected to arrive from Colorado to assist with the investigation.
Authorities on scene had blocked off North 400th Avenue in the morning. The road closure spanned from East 2250th Street, eastward.