FAA and NTSB Investigating

FAA officials were on the scene this weekend of the site of a crash of a 1977 Cessna 340A that killed four people southeast of the Council Bluffs (IA) airport Friday.

The Cessna was last confirmed to be three to four miles southeast of Council Bluffs when it disappeared from radar, according to the Associated Press.

Sgt. Sam Arkfeld of the Pottawattamie County Sheriff's Office confirmed Saturday morning that the fourth body had been found; earlier Saturday, the FAA's Tony Molinaro confirmed that three bodies had been recovered and a search was underway for a fourth person.

The flight originated from Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport in Bentonville, AR and was registered to Color Ink of Council Bluffs, according to Molinaro.

One witness reported seeing the plane go down at 9:30 pm and saw an explosion and flames.

According to the National Weather Service, a fast-moving winter storm bringing wind gusts of 53 miles per hour, snow, and poor visibility was moving into the area when the plane went down.

Federal investigators were not able to locate the crash site for about 90 minutes due to snow and wind conditions, reported UPI. When a four-wheel-drive vehicle became stuck in a field, a local resident's tractor was used to gain access to the crash site.

Molinaro would not speculate if the weather played a role in the crash.

FMI: www.faa.gov, www.ntsb.gov