Cause of plane crash near Adrian confirmed

The cause of a plane crash that killed an 80 year old Florida man in Bates county last month has been preliminarily determined.

Pilot John McConnell

The non stop flight from Vero Beach Florida to Olathe Kansas, piloted by John N. McConnell, Jr., turned deadly when it appears the right engine went into an overspeed condition and he was unable to shut it down.

According to the NTSB report, McConnell was faced with two options, either landing on the highway or making an attempt to land at the Butler airport. He informed air traffic control that he was going to attempt to turn around and make the 5 mile descent into Butler.

However, while making the turn, control issues forced the Cessna 425 to lose altitude and crash into a grain bin on a farm just south of Adrian.

The investigation is ongoing. Mid America Live will continue to provide updates as they become available.