BRANSON WEST, Mo. (AP) - Authorities say a couple from Gardner, Kansas, died when their small plane crashed in southwest Missouri.
Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader on Monday identified the victims as 52-year-old Keith Curtis and 45-year-old Dawn Curtis.
Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Elizabeth Isham Cory said their single-engine Piper Cherokee went down Sunday night in a pasture about 1 mile northwest of the Branson West Municipal Airport.
Witnesses told KYTV that the plane was flying low and appeared to be having problems with its motor before there was a boom as it crashed.
Relatives said in a statement that the couple was married on Nov. 11 after dating for several years. They were on their way to Branson for a four-day, pre-Christmas family vacation.
The FAA is investigating the cause of the crash.
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Information from: KYTV-TV, http://www.ky3.com
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