Crews find missing plane

The crash remains of a single-engine plane missing since late Sunday night were found early Monday night near Burden Falls, about 7 miles northwest of Eddyville in the Shawnee National Forest.

Reports are conflicting as to whether the reported passengers were found in or out of the wreckage, which was discovered about 6:40 p.m. on Monday. Pope County Sheriff Jerry Suits would not say how many people were aboard the four-seater. However, he did say no survivors were found. Reports show that all families associated with the flight had been notified.

Several law enforcement agencies combed northern Pope County in a search that started about 2:30 a.m. Monday, Suits said. The plane, which officials described as a single engine, blue and white Cheetah, was last heard from around 8:55 p.m. Sunday when the pilot sent his wife a text message saying he was flying in rough weather and having trouble. The plane wasn't heard from again, the sheriff said.

The plane was flying from Marion, Ky., to the Williamson County Airport in Marion, Ill.

Law enforcement had a command post set up at an abandoned church near Herod. The search concentrated most of the day in the One Horse Gap area, about a 20-mile hike from the crash scene, although the entire region between the two Marion cities was considered search area to officials. Planes, four-wheel drives, ATVs and riders on horseback all took part in the search. Also, communication among the searchers was made difficult as no Internet or cell phone service was available in the heavily rural area, and they had continuing problems with their portable radios.