BRANSON WEST, Mo. (AP) — Authorities say a couple from Gardner, Kansas, died when their small plane crashed in southwest Missouri. Stone County Sheriff Doug Rader on Monday identified the victims as 52-year-old Keith Curtis and 45-year-old Dawn Curtis. Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Elizabeth Isham Cory said their single-engine Piper Cherokee went down Sunday night in a pasture about 1 mile northwest of the Branson West Municipal Airport. Witnesses told KYTV that the plane was flying low and appeared to be having problems with its motor before there was a boom as it crashed. Relatives said in a statement that the couple was married on November 11 after dating for several years. They were on their way to Branson for a four-day, pre-Christmas family vacation. The FAA is investigating the cause of the crash.
