A SMALL PLANE BELIEVED TO HAVE FIVE PEOPLE ON BOARD CRASHED IN FOG NEAR THE AIRPORT, AUTHORITIES SAID FRIDAY, ACCORDING TO AP. THERE WAS NO WORD ON THE FATE OF THE PASSENGERS AND CREW, SAID INDIANA STATE POLICE SPOKESMAN KEN MAXWELL. THE WRECKAGE WAS FOUND JUST SOUTH OF THE MONROE COUNTY AIRPORT AROUND 4:30 A.M. EDT (0830 GMT) FRIDAY, MAXWELL SAID. THE AIRCRAFT WAS EN ROUTE TO THE AIRPORT FROM LAFAYETTE, INDIANA, ABOUT 90 MILES (140 KILOMETERS) TO THE NORTHWEST. THE PILOT ACTIVATED THE LIGHTS AT THE AIRPORT FROM THE COCKPIT BUT NEVER LANDED, SAID MIKE CORNMAN, DEPUTY FIRE CHIEF IN VAN BUREN TOWNSHIP. OFFICIALS AT HULMAN FIELD IN TERRE HAUTE, INDIANA, SAID THE PLANE DISAPPEARED FROM RADAR AT 11:40 P.M. THURSDAY (0440 GMT FRIDAY), CORNMAN SAID. THE PLANE WAS A SINGLE-ENGINE CESSNA WITH SIX SEATS, OFFICIALS SAID. IT WAS HEADED FROM LAFAYETTE TO MONROE COUNTY AIRPORT IN BLOOMINGTON, HOME TO INDIANA UNIVERSITY. RESIDENTS MADE AN EMERGENCY CALL TO REPORT WHAT SOUNDED LIKE A PLANE IN DISTRESS, HE SAID, AND SOME REPORTED HEARING A LOUD BOOM. RAIN AND FOG HINDERED EFFORTS TO LAUNCH A SEARCH BY HELICOPTER.
