UPDATED 3:49 p.m.
HANNA CITY, Ill. – We’re learning more about the time leading up to Saturday’s deadly single-engine plane crash in Hanna City.
The Federal Aviation Administration says the pilot of the Mooney M20 plane reported engine trouble prior to crashing on Illinois 116 in Hanna City.
The administration says the crash happened just prior to 2:00 p.m., but local authorities say it happened around 12:30.
The website FlightAware.com indicates the plane took off from Santa Fe, New Mexico around 6:30 a.m. Mountain time, before the crash about five hours later. The site lists the owner of the plane, but we will not for now, until the names of the victims are released by the Peoria County Coroner after autopsies scheduled for Monday.
The flight data seems to indicate a drop in altitude the last hour of the flight, and seemed to have some issues maintaining speed.
Peoria County Coroner Jamie Harwood says James Evanson of Santa Fe, 75, — the registered owner of the plane — was an experienced pilot, having flown helicopters in Vietnam. He and his wife Lisa, 67, were pronounced dead at the scene.
Both had multiple blunt force trauma injuries, but James Evanson also had severe internal bleeding, according to preliminary autopsy results.
The National Transportation Safety Board is still investigating, and a spokesperson says while that could take a year or more, a preliminary report could be done in as soon as two weeks.
This information is preliminary and subject to change. Please contact local authorities for the occupants’ names and medical conditions.
A single-engine Mooney M20 crashed on Highway 116 in Hanna City, Ill., around 2 p.m. local time Saturday after the pilot reported an engine issue. Two people were on board.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate. The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation and will provide all updates. Neither agency identifies people involved in aircraft accidents.
After investigators verify the aircraft registration numbers at the scene, the FAA will release them on this webpage, usually on the next business day. You can look up an aircraft by its registration number on this webpage. — Federal Aviation Administration statement
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