7 died in airplane crash on their way from NCAA Final Four

A Cessna 414 twin -engine airplane which was returning from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men's basketball Championship crashed early Tuesday on approach to a central Illinois airport killing all 7 on board who were all from the Bloomington- Normal area; 2 of them were members of Illinois state University's athletics department

The Illinois State University stated that Torrey Ward, 36; the associate head coach for Illinois state's men's basketball team, Aaron Leetch, 37; a deputy athletics director, and five supporters of the program died in the crash
"We move between shock and profound sadness" said Larry Pletz; the Illinois state University's President

                                                                  Coach Torrey Ward


It was stated that the airplane had been in contact with air traffic control in Peoria, which was handling approaches because the Bloomington airport's tower was closed at that time, but when the airplane did not report back to controllers that it had landed and was neither found in the airport a search was launched

Report stated that the airplane was found about 3hours later in a Soybean field with all 7 of the men found dead and belted into their seats in the wreckage