CRYSTAL LAKE, ILLINOIS (BNO NEWS) — A small plane crashed near Chicago in Illinois on Thursday afternoon, killing both people on board, federal officials said. The cause of the accident was not immediately known.
Beechcraft Bonanza Be33 (Belgian registration OO-JKM) taking off at Kemble Airfield, Gloucestershire, England. Note that some sources say Be33 and some say F33 for this aircraft. Photographed by Adrian Pingstone in July 2005 and released to the public domain.
The single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza 35 aircraft crashed at around 3:15 p.m. local time in a marshy field in Crystal Lake, the largest city in McHenry County which is part of the Chicago metropolitan area. The aircraft is believed to have attempted to land at Hills Airport amidst windy weather.
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) spokeswoman Elizabeth Isham Cory confirmed two people, the pilot and a passenger, were killed in the accident. Their identities were not immediately released, but the Chicago Tribune reported that the victims are believed to have been in their 40s or 50s.
The aircraft, witnesses told local media organizations, was traveling north and trying to line up for a landing at the airport when it began to decelerate and crashed. Strong winds could have affected the landing, but investigations are still ongoing.
The crash tore off the aircraft’s left wing while the nose was heavily damaged.
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