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MONROE COUNTY, Ill. (First Alert 4) - The National Transportation Safety Board has opened an investigation into a plane crash that occurred near Waterloo.

The NTSB has confirmed they have opened an investigation into the crash of a Beech 95-B55 airplane. They believe the airplane crashed before 11 p.m. on Thursday. The plane was not located until around 7:40 a.m. on Friday, following hours of searching.

The crashed plane was found by an ARCH Air Medical helicopter within a tree line adjacent to a field in rural Monroe County, behind the Columbia Quarry near T Road.

 The missing Beechcraft Baron 55 private aircraft has been located, and the operation has transitioned from a search and rescue mission to a recovery operation. Tragically, fatalities have been confirmed,  the Sheriff's Department said in a post.

Pilot Jimmy Don Lewis, 48, and his son, Brayden Ty Lewis, 22, were killed in the crash, according to the Monroe County Coroner's Office.

Authorities said their preliminary information indicates the plane departed from St. Louis Regional Airport and was en route to Siloam Springs Municipal Airport in Arkansas. Investigators disclosed that the duo attended a Cardinals home game prior to the crash.

According to investigators, the plane may have attempted to fly during the developing severe weather. Flight data shows the plane appeared to begin a turn, possibly to avoid the storm, before entering what appeared to be a descending spiral.

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