SPEARFISH (AP) - Authorities say a South Dakota priest has died in a plane crash in southeast Montana.
The Carter County Sheriff in Montana said the single-engine plane was discovered Sunday after it took off from Spearfish on Friday. Authorities say 50-year-old Peter Kovarik died in the crash. It's unclear if there was anyone else in the plane.
KEVN-TV reports Kovarik had ties to St. Ambrose Parish in Deadwood and the St. Patrick Parish in Lead.
The Civil Air Patrol was notified of the missing aircraft Saturday evening and found the plane by tracing its emergency beacon after a two-hour search Sunday morning.
A Federal Aviation Administration spokesman says the cause of the crash is unknown. Authorities are investigating.
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Carter County Sheriff Neil Kittleman says the plane may have crashed in heavy fog over uneven terrain.
