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Plane Crash Victims Died on Impact
RANTOUL, Ill. (AP)--Preliminary autopsy results show the three victims of a weekend plane crash died upon impact and before the single-engine plane caught fire.

Champaign County Coroner Duane Northrup says the cause of death was blunt force trauma, but toxicology tests are pending. He says it will take up to two more days to review medical records and dental records.

The victims were identified as 56-year-old Jon Buerkett, his wife, 47-year-old Dana Buerkett, and their daughter, 19-year-old Morgan Buerkett, who was a University of Chicago student.

All three were from Champaign.

They were killed Sunday when the plane crashed shortly after takeoff from Rantoul Airport about 125 miles southwest of Chicago. Fire destroyed the plane.

The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the cause of the crash.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
07 26 11 by Newsroom
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