PROBE OF AIR CRASH CONTINUES; FAA INVESTIGATORS COMB THE CRASH SITE

DUTCHTOWN -- An investigation into a plane crash that killed Perryville Alderman Robert V. Pirrie began Thursday with the arrival of investigators from the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.

A plane piloted by Pirrie, 52, crashed at about 4:45 p.m. Wednesday west of Dutchtown.

A team of aviation safety inspectors from the FAA's St. Louis Flight Standards Office arrived at the crash site Thursday morning and an investigator from the NTSB's regional office in Chicago arrived in the afternoon.

Authorities said it may be weeks or longer before the cause of the crash can be determined.

The plane was attempting to make an instrument landing approach to Runway 10 at Cape Girardeau Municipal Airport when it went down. Just before the crash the airport weather station was reporting a 400-foot ceiling with 2-miles visibility in fog.

Much of the wreckage, including the engine and front cockpit, is buried in several feet of mud and must be dug out for it to be examined.

Mark Seesing, airport manager, speculated Thursday that the outer portions of the wings of the single-engine, Piper 28 Cherokee may have been torn off before the plane crashed into a muddy field seven miles northwest of the airport.

The investigation Thursday shifted from the crash site to a heavily wooded area and field immediately to the south.

Seesing said an outer section of one wing was found in a wooded area immediately south of the crash site and a section of the other wing was found in an open field south of the wooded area.

Seesing said there was no indication the wings were torn off by trees. Seesing said it appeared the wings may have been subjected to intense stress such as that which occurs when a plane goes into a steep climb.

Federal investigators and deputies from the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department searched the woods and field for any additional signs of wreckage.

T.D. "Tim" Moon, aviation safety inspector with the operations section of the FAA's Flight Standards Office, explained that his job is to survey the wreckage, crash site and surrounding area, to interview any witnesses, and to collect material and facts relating to the accident.

He said information will be compiled in a report and presented to the NTSB, which will conduct an identical investigation. Upon completion of FAA reports, they will be reviewed by the NTSB, which will determine probable cause of the accident.

Moon said the FAA only gathers "facts" and does not determine the cause of the accident.