Father and son die in Illinois plane crash after Cardinals game, investigators cite weather

WATERLOO, Ill., July 18. Jimmy Don Lewis, 48, and his 22-year-old son, Brayden Ty Lewis, were killed when their small aircraft crashed near Waterloo, Illinois, early Friday after departing into what investigators described as a developing severe weather system on the way home from a St. Louis Cardinals game. The Monroe County Sheriff's Department disclosed the crash in a press release; the Monroe County Coroner's Office confirmed both identities to KSDK.

The flight and radar data

The pair took off from St. Louis Regional Airport in Bethalto aboard what is believed to have been a Beechcraft Baron 55, bound for Siloam Springs Municipal Airport in Arkansas. They had spent the evening at a Cardinals game before beginning the trip home. Investigators said the aircraft entered an area of developing severe weather after takeoff.

Flight data showed the plane appeared to begin a turn. Investigators said the maneuver may have been an attempt to avoid the weather. The aircraft then entered what appeared to be a descending spiral before radar contact was lost.

Search hampered by conditions

Emergency crews were dispatched at approximately 2:34 a.m. Friday after reports of a possible aircraft crash south of Waterloo. Low clouds, rain and poor visibility halted an effective ground search for hours, forcing authorities to mount a multi-agency response that included specialized drone teams from Illinois and the St. Louis region. An ARCH Air Medical helicopter located the wreckage at about 7:40 a.m. in a tree line near the Columbia Quarry after investigators narrowed the search area. Authorities said both occupants were found dead.

Family account

Kelsey Lewis, daughter to Jimmy and sister to Brayden, told the Daily Mail that the two had earned their pilots' licenses together and did everything together. She described her father as a highly cautious flyer. She also told the Daily Mail that a glitch in the aircraft's weather-tracking system appeared to have caused readings to run approximately 30 minutes behind actual conditions, a gap she said could have contributed to the crash.

Investigation

The Federal Aviation Administration later assumed responsibility for the crash scene. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are conducting a joint investigation into the cause. Authorities said all findings released so far are preliminary and the federal probe remains ongoing.