NTSB - Weather caused crash

A combination of cold, ice and wind caused the March 5 plane crash that killed a Cape Girardeau businessman and his flight instructor, according to a preliminary report released by the National Transportation Safety Board.

Jerry Davis, the man who brought McDonald's restaurants to Cape Girardeau 35 years ago, and flight instructor Kenneth Krongos, of Buncombe, Ill., were killed in the crash.

The plane, a Beech A36, was piloted by Krongos. It sustained substantial damage after colliding with trees and the terrain near Sparta, Ill. The flight departed Duluth, Minn., at an unconfirmed time.

According to preliminary information provided by the Federal Aviation Administration, the filed flight plan was from Duluth to the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport. While en route, Krongos reported to air traffic control that the airplane had encountered icy conditions and requested to divert to Sparta Community Airport.