Reported plane crash ruled intentional landing

<span style="font-weight: 400;">What has been described as a two-seat "bush" type of aircraft made a landing on a sandbar near Moore's Island - located on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River a mile from the Jerry F. Costello Lock and Dam - on Friday.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The incident was originally reported as a plane crash by a Ste. Genevieve resident who saw the aircraft land. According to Randolph County Sheriff Shannon Wolff, upon landing, one of the plane's wings got caught on the sand and damaged the wing and the aircraft's nose.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Later Friday, Wolff released the names as pilot Reuben D. Naumann and passenger Daly H. Smith, both from Blackwell, Mo. Neither were injured in the incident. The plane was registered out of North Dakota.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Wolff, two Chester firefighters and a paramedic responded on the Chester Fire Department's rescue boat, while the Illinois State Police&#160;and Air Evac also assisted in the search for the plane.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Wolff said he made contact with the pilot and the passenger and was told they make regular landings in the area.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"The pilot said if we ever got a report like that again, to take it lightly and I said we can't take a plane crash lightly," he said. "I told them to let us know so as to not bring as many resources."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The plane and its occupants later took off again from the sandbar. Wolff was asked what the legal ramifications were for that.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">"They said since it was a waterway and it was a sandbar, they could do it," he said. "But I don't know what the regulations were on it."</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Chester Fire Chief Marty Bert said all fire units were back in service at 11:45 a.m. The incident was first reported at 9:13 a.m.</span>

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