Two believed dead as plane crashes into Mississippi

GRAFTON, Illinois (Reuters) -- A small plane crashed and sank in the Mississippi River Wednesday, killing both people believed to be on board, officials said.

Authorities recovered one body and were searching for another. The unidentified craft took off from nearby St. Charles, Missouri, and sank off the Grafton riverfront, Jersey County Deputy Sheriff Martin Andrews said.

Aviation authorities were investigating the cause of the crash. The identity of the victim was not released.

An eight-mile stretch of the navigable river was closed to ship traffic as divers began a search for the submerged plane and debris, as aviation fuel floated to the surface. A short section of the Illinois River, which flows into the Mississippi just upstream of Grafton, was also closed to river traffic.

"Our concentration is on search and rescue. We have to locate the aircraft, which is submerged," Coast Guard Lt. Chris O'Neil said.

Grafton lies just a few miles North of St. Louis, Missouri.

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