Arkansas couple killed when plane crashes in soybean field

A Greenwood couple was killed when the small plane in which they were traveling crashed in a soybean field northwest of St. Louis, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

A news release from the highway patrol identified the couple as Bobby and Shannon Faulkner, both 41. Bobby Faulkner was the pilot of the 2003 Zenith 701 single-engine plane. Both occupants were pronounced dead at the scene by the Ralls County, Mo., coroner.

Searchers found the plane about 6 miles northwest of Laddonia, Mo., which is about 17 miles from Mexico, Mo., where the plane took off, the release said. The plane was bound for Oshkosh, Wis.

An Internet site said the Zenith Aircraft Co., headquartered at Mexico, Mo., designs, develops and manufactures kit aircraft and has production facilities at Mexico Memorial Airport.

The release said the highway patrol received a request from the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center at 11:24 p.m. Thursday to assist in locating a missing aircraft that had recently taken off from the airport at Mexico. The rescue center provided the highway patrol with a GPS location in rural Ralls County.

The highway patrol and several public safety agencies checked the area and found the plane about 1 a.m. Friday, the release said.

The release said the origin of the aircraft's flight plan was unknown Friday. The Federal Aviation Administration was expected to arrive on site Friday to begin its investigation.

State Desk on 07/29/2017

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