2 Die In Plane Crash In Missouri, Flight Originated In Centennial

KIRKSVILLE, Mo. (AP/CBS4) - Airport authorities say two people died when their single-engine plane that departed from Centennial Airport crashed near the Kirksville Regional Airport in Missouri.

Kirksville airport Director Glenn Balliew says the Piper 32-A Saratoga crashed Tuesday night while on approach to the airport.

Adair County Coroner Brian Noe declined to release the names of the victims Wednesday until family members are notified.

Balliew says the plane's wreckage was scattered along a 300-yard path through a pasture, a wooded area and a bean field about three miles from Kirksville. The bodies of the two victims were found in a ditch.

Investigators say the airplane was stopping for fuel on a flight that left from Centennial Airport south of Denver.

National Transportation and Safety Board agents arrived at the airport Wednesday morning to begin an investigation.

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)