FOSTORIA, Ohio — An Avon man and his co-pilot died Tuesday night after a plane crash in Ohio.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol says the plane crashed in a wooded area just before 11 p.m.
Shane Alan Halbrook, 59, of Avon and co-pilot Michael D. Wright, 51, of Casey Illinois, were both pronounced dead at the scene. The Indiana Air National Guard says both men were former Guard members. They released the following statement.
"With heavy hearts, we have learned of the passing of two former Indiana Air National Guard members. Retired. Col. Shane A. Halbrook and Maj. Michael D. Wright were lost in a single-engine aircraft incident late last evening in Seneca County, Ohio.
Col. Halbrook’s last assignment was the director of joint staff for the Indiana Air National Guard.
Maj. Wright was a member of the 181st Communication Flight, 181st Intelligence Wing, Hulman Field Air National Guard Base, Indiana, prior to transferring to the Air Force Reserve at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois.
Please join us in a moment of silent reflection, prayer, and thoughts for their families as they deal with this devastating loss."
The Associated Press reports the single-engine plane was traveling from Illinois to Findlay, Ohio when the aircraft went down.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

NTSB is investigating the Feb. 22, crash of a Piper PA32-360 airplane near Fostoria, Ohio.
— NTSB_Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) February 23, 2022
-
Fever set fire to Sparks even without Caitlin Clark, beat LA 111-87
The Indiana Fever were on fire Saturday night against the Los Angeles Sparks -- and they did it without superstar Caitlin Clark, who was out with a back injury.
Summer in the City program offers safe space for Indy youth
The city of Indianapolis and local nonprofit, Let Them Talk, are partnering together to offer a safe space for Indianapolis-area youth to prevent them from falling into the path of violence.
Man's body found in White River in downtown Indianapolis
A man's body was found in the White River near the Indiana University Indianapolis campus on Friday night after a jogger heard splashing and called 911.
TSA finds smoke grenade jammed inside peanut butter jar at Indy airport
TSA officers and explosive specialists caught a passenger attempting to travel with two smoke grenades, one of which was jammed into a full jar of peanut butter, in his checked bag.