FAA: 2 killed when small plane crashes in Minn.

Published 2:37 pm Thursday, December 30, 2010

MILACA, Minn. — A small plane en route to Texas crashed in a field in central Minnesota on Thursday, killing both people on board, federal aviation officials said.

The plane departed in the morning from Aitkin, Minn., headed for Beaumont, Texas. The pilot contacted air-traffic controllers about 10:15 a.m. and reported problems with the flight controls, said National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Peter Knudson.

“Shortly after that, the aircraft was lost on radar,” Knudson said.

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A farmer reported the wreckage in an open field in Milaca, which is 65 miles north of Minneapolis, about 15 minutes later. Knudson said there was no post-wreckage fire, though both people on board were killed. Their names haven’t been released.

The plane is registered to TeeMark Corp. in Aitkin. A woman who answered the phone there said employees were instructed to refer all questions to the Federal Aviation Administration and hung up.

FAA spokeswoman Elizabeth Isham Cory said the NTSB in leading the investigation, which could take up to a year.

The National Weather Service said there was fog and light rain at the time of the crash, with visibility of between 1 and 3 miles.