CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (AP) — Authorities say one of two longtime pilots hurt when a small plane flipped at the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport has died.

The Southeast Missourian reports 74-year-old Lowell Peterson, of Jackson, died from injuries he suffered in the accident Tuesday.

Cape Girardeau police say Peterson and Jack Mehner were the only ones on the plane. The cause of the accident is under investigation. Authorities have not said who was flying the plane.

A message distributed on behalf of the family said Mehner had successful surgery Wednesday on a neck injury.

Both men had extensive piloting experience. Last year, the FAA designated Mehner a “Master Pilot” for exhibiting flying skill for 50 years. He told the newspaper at the time that he and Peterson enjoyed flying an airplane they built together in Peterson’s garage.

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CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (AP) — Authorities say two longtime pilots were seriously hurt when a small plane flipped at the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport.

Saint Francis Medical Center says Lowell Peterson is hospitalized in critical condition and Jack Mehner in serious condition after Tuesday crash.

It is unclear which man was flying the plane. They were the only people aboard. Cape Girardeau police say the cause of the crash is under investigation.

Last year, the FAA designated Mehner a “Master Pilot” for exhibiting flying skill for 50 years. He told the Southeast Missourian at the time that he and Peterson often enjoyed flying an airplane they had built together in Peterson’s garage.

It is unclear whether that plane was the one they were flying at the time of the crash.