Group Had Been In Indianapolis For NCAA Championship Game

A Cessna 414 belonging to the owner of a meat processing plant in Eureka, IL went down Monday night resulting in the fatal injury everyone on board.

Seven people were aboard the airplane, including two members of the Illinois State University athletics department. Reuters reports they were identified as Tony Ward, associate head coach for the Illinois State men's basketball team, and Aaron Leetch, a deputy athletics director. The others were supporters of the program, according to the university.

The plane went down about 2.5 miles from its destination, the Central Illinois Regional Airport in Bloomington, IL. It had departed from Indianapolis after the NCAA championship game Monday night. The McClean County Coroner's Office identified the others fatally injured as Terry Stralow, 64, Scott Bittner, 42, Andy Butler, 40, Jason Jones, 45 and pilot Thomas Hileman, 51. All were from the Bloomington-Normal area.

According to The Chicago Tribune, the plane was owned by Bittner, and Hileman was his regular pilot.

The plane departed Indianapolis at about 11 p.m. Monday, and reportedly encountered heavy fog on the route of flight.

Hileman was described as a "very experienced" pilot by Bittner's father in law, Scott Barrows.

The NTSB has taken custody of the wreckage pending its investigation, according to Reuters.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov