Two Killed in Rural Minnesota Plane Crash (Update)

Duluth, MN (KROC-AM News)- Federal authorities are investigating a plane crash that claimed the lives of two people in Minnesota Wednesday morning. 

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The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office says deputies were notified of the crash shortly after 8:10 a.m. The aircraft crashed in a wooded area about 26 miles north of Duluth. 

A news release says deputies found the crash site with the aid of the Air Force and a spotter plane. Both the pilot and passenger were pronounced dead at the scene. 

The cause of the crash is unknown. Authorities described the two-seater plane as a 1946 Aeronca Champ that had recently completed an annual inspection and was on a “return to service” flight. 

The preliminary investigation indicates the plane had taken off from the Duluth International Airport earlier Wednesday morning. The FAA is leading the investigation into the deadly plane crash. 

Update: 6-21 2:45 p.m. The St. Louis County Sheriff's Office has released the names of people killed in the plane crash.

• Pilot: Bryan Paul Handyside, 60 years old, from unorganized township 54R13.
• Passenger:  Matthew William Joseph, 64 years old, from Duluth