Plane crash Arkansas: Oklahoma couple perishes

Plane crash: Arkansas authorities say a couple from Pryor, Okla., died in a plane crash Monday in western Arkansas. The pilot and his wife were returning from a football game in Alabama.

Authorities say a husband and wife were found dead in a plane crash in western Arkansas.

 Family members confirmed that the victims are Ivan and Adina Williams, of Pryor, Okla,, according to KFOR-TV in Oklahoma City.  Ivan Williams is the CEO of Williams Construction Company in Pryor.

Crews had been searching for the single-engine plane since it disappeared from radar on Monday afternoon. The Civil Air Patrol says the crashed plane was located Tuesday morning in rural western Arkansas.

"The wreckage was scattered over a couple hundred yards. They crashed into a wooded area. It would have been really hard to spot from the air, because it was in small pieces," said Glenn Wheeler, with Tri-County Search and Rescue.

Madison County Sheriff Phillip Morgan says the husband and wife were found dead at the scene of the crash.. The Civil Air Patrol says the plane only had two people on board.

Williams reportedly notified air traffic control the plane was experiencing problems and the plane began losing altitude while traveling at about 170 miles per hour.

Records show Williams purchased the plane in September, according to News on 6 in Oklahoma.. He and his wife had apparently traveled to Alabama for a weekend football trip, and were headed back to Claremore when they crashed. Tulsa, Okla., television station KJRH reports that the Piper Saratoga was headed to Claremore, Okla., from Sylacauga, Ala.

The Mayor of Pryor, Okla., Jimmy Tramel told News on 6: "What Ivan and his family have given this community, the vision he's had for this community--you look at it, it's amazing. Ivan and Adina Williams supported a number of non-profit groups and charities. Tramel said they cared deeply about others and the community. The Williams family donated property for a city park in Pryor. Mayor Trammel said Ivan Williams was also instrumental in getting a recreation center built in Pryor.

"He was always there, greet you with a handshake, greet you with a smile. When you saw Adina, same way," Tramel said.

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