A charter plane operated by 65-year-old pilot Edward Ruhbeck crashed short of the runway at the Spirit of St. Louis Airport around 3:40 a.m. The plane, owned by Kansas City-based charter company Central Air Southwest, lost altitude almost immediately after takeoff and attempted to loop around to the end of its runway before bursting into flames. The crash occurred while the airport's control tower was closed, leading to the discovery of the wreckage three hours later. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident.