Plane crash in Illinois kills seven

Thursday, April 9, 2015

PH-MZL, a Cessna 414 Chancellor similar to the accident aircraft.
Image: AirSafetyGuy.

A Cessna 414 twin engine aircraft crashed in an Illinois field on Tuesday while returning from an Indianapolis NCAA basketball tournament. All seven people on the plane were killed.

The plane took off from an airport in Indianapolis. It crashed very early Tuesday morning. According to the McLean County sheriff, rescuers found all seven people dead. Coroner Kathleen Davis said they were killed by blunt force trauma.

An associate head coach of basketball and a deputy athletic director were among the dead in the crash, according to an email sent out by Illinois State University President Larry Dietz to students, staff, and faculty. Both of these people were a part of Illinois State University's athletic department, where, Dietz said, they were highly esteemed.

A National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator said he didn't know yet why the plane turned away from its approach to a runway in Bloomington, Ilinois, though he noted conditions of rain and fog. The NTSB is investigating the crash.

Sources