No Distress Call, Plane Simply 'Dropped Off Radar': NTSB

Photo: National Transportation Safety Board Senior Investigator John Brannen speaks from the scene of a small plane crash in Palos Hills.

Early details indicate that a small plane that crashed and killed three peopleSunday in Palos Hills appears to have fallen from the sky in a “near-vertical attitude”—close to a nose-dive.

“There was no distress call,” said National Transportation Safety Board Investigator John Brannen, on the scene at a press conference Monday. “It simply dropped off the radar.”

The plane had taken off from Midway Airport just minutes before the crash, and is believed to have been bound for Lawrence, Kansas. All onboard were killed when the plane crashed in the 10100 block of South 86th Court around 10:40 p.m.

The identities of the deceased are being withheld pending notification of next of kin. The pilot—a male—held several licenses in air travel. The wreckage will be removed from the scene and taken to a facility for further investigation. Investigators will visit Midway Airport, and check the truck that fueled the plane.

A preliminary report can be expected within a week of the accident, followed by a factual report within several months, and a brief report including probable cause in several months.

Check back later for more.