A father and son lost their lives after the small plane they were traveling in crashed overnight Thursday near Waterloo, Illinois, while returning to Oklahoma after attending a St. Louis Cardinals game.

The victims were identified as Jimmy Don Lewis, 48, and his son Brayden Ty Lewis, 22. Their bodies were located Friday morning among the wreckage of a Beechcraft Baron 55 small plane, authorities reported.

According to the Monroe County Sheriff's Office, the aircraft is believed to have crashed shortly before 11:00 p.m. on Thursday.

Bad weather complicated the search for the aircraft

Rescue efforts began after authorities received, around 2:30 a.m., a report about a possible plane crash, KSDK reported.

Investigators worked alongside the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to determine the plane's last known location and narrow down the search area.

However, weather conditions prevented safe aerial tracking from being immediately carried out.

Illinois State Police deployed an aircraft equipped with thermal imaging technology, but cloud cover and bad weather prevented them from locating the plane.

It was until 6:00 a.m. when Waterloo Fire Command launched a drone search. Two hours later, crews found the plane between a line of trees next to a rural field and confirmed the deaths of both occupants.

The aircraft would have tried to avoid a storm

According to preliminary information from the investigation, Jimmy Don Lewis and his son were returning to West Siloam Springs, Oklahoma, after attending the game in which the St. Louis Cardinals lost 8-4 to the Milwaukee Brewers.

Flight data indicates that the aircraft would have made a turn in an apparent attempt to avoid a storm before entering a downward spiral. Shortly afterward, radar contact was lost.

The causes of the accident remain under investigation by the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

Relatives remember the victims

On social media, family and loved ones expressed their pain over the loss.

Jimmy's wife, Jill Lewis, had shared photos of family trips taken in recent years, including tours of Italy and ski vacations in Colorado.

Brayden, known by family and friends as Ty, also published images of his trips, sports activities and moments with his girlfriend, Payton, who dedicated a farewell message to him on social networks.

His sister, Kelsey, recalled a photo taken during a family flight and shared a touching message in memory of her father and brother.

Authorities continue to analyze information from the flight to determine precisely what caused the accident.

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