2 killed in single-engine plane crash in Arkansas, authorities say

Two people were killed Thursday when a single-engine aircraft crashed near an airport in southwest Arkansas, according to the state Department of Emergency Management.

Authorities say the Cessna 400 plane bound for Franklin, N.C., crashed west of the Gurdon Lowe Field Airport and about 4 miles east of Gurdon in Clark County.

The aircraft, which departed from McKinney, Texas, had been confirmed missing Thursday afternoon.

Melody Daniel, an Emergency Management department spokesman, said her agency received a report from the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center at 1:23 p.m. of an aircraft that had reported engine trouble.

The plane reportedly then began descending, and soon after, the Federal Aviation Administration lost contact with the pilot, Daniel said.

In a statement, the FAA spokesman Tony Molinaro said the two people killed were the only people inside the plane at the time.

"The FAA will send a team to the crash site to begin an investigation in coordination with the [National Transportation Safety Board]," Molinaro said.

The identities of the victims were not released as of Thursday afternoon.

Requests for additional information were directed to the Clark County sheriff's office, which said it would release details regarding the crash later in the day.

Check back with Arkansas Online for updates on this developing story and read Friday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.

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