March 05, Sparta, Ill. / Beech Bonanza

At 2240 central time, a Beech A36 crashed while on approach to Sparta Community Airport. The pilot and passenger were killed. The airplane was flying from Duluth, Minn., to Cape Girardeau Regional Airport when the pilot reported he had encountered icing conditions. He requested to divert to Sparta Community Airport. The airplane crashed approximately four miles south of SAR. Weather at SAR at the time included a ceiling of 500 feet and visibility of 1.5 miles, with temperature and dewpoint within one degree.