CHESTERFIELD, Mo. (AP) - A small plane crashed early Saturday morning after taking off from a St. Louis County airport, killing a father and his young daughter, officials said.
St. Louis County Police Capt. Randy Vaughn said 41-year-old Shiv Patil and his 7-year-old daughter Sonia Patil, both of Chesterfield, died in the accident.
The Cirrus SR-22 took off from the Spirit of St. Louis Airport at about 4:50 a.m. Saturday. It was to fly to Texas and then Arizona, Vaughn said.
The plane crashed in the Howell Island Conservation Area, just west of the airport, Vaughn said.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Agency are investigating the crash.
Joe Duever, who lives near the crash site, told KMOV the crash shook his house.
"It was like 200 pounds of TNT. It was one sharp concussion," he told the TV station.