Preliminary findings from the National Transportation Safety Board yield little information as to why a plane went down in northwest Missouri earlier this week.

Kenny Stoner of Rideway was reported to be flying solo in the Cessna 182C single-engine airplane when it went down in terrain near Pattonsburg Sunday. Stoner died in the crash and the plane was destroyed.

The airplane left the Northwest Missouri Regional Airport in Maryville around 3:50 p.m. Sunday and was destined for the Bethany Memorial Airport in Bethany but never made it. The report said the crash took place around 4:30 p.m., less than an hour after its observed departure.

According to local authorities, the pilot was planning a flight to Bethany after picking up his airplane from a completed annual inspection. There were no recorded communications between the pilot and air traffic control services.

Preliminary findings of the examination of the accident site revealed the airplane impacted in wooded terrain. All major components of the airplane were located at the accident site. Tree impacts and damage to the airplane were consistent with a nose low, near vertical impact.

It took nearly two days for search crews to find the wreckage location. Local search and rescue crews found it around 9 a.m. on Dec. 8th. The report said the emergency locator transmitter was found destroyed during an examination of the site.