US Open golf champion Payne Stewart was among five people killed yesterday when a Learjet that had been flying out of control for several hours across the United States crashed in South Dakota, a family spokesman in Florida announced.
Stewart's Learjet took off earlier in the day from Orlando, Florida, for Dallas, Texas, but veered off course and lost radio contact with the ground soon afterwards. It crashed in a remote area near the town of Aberdeen, South Dakota.
A Sky News report said the plane might have suffered a catastrophic pressurisation fault at about 40,000 feet, which would have disabled the occupants within seconds. The plane might then have continued on automatic pilot for several hours until its fuel was exhausted, Mr David Learmont of Flight International magazine, suggested.
Stewart (42) has won many of golf's top titles and was on the winning US Ryder Cup team which defeated Europe last month.
Stewart's plane ditched in a field near the small town of Mina, authorities said. "There were no survivors," said Supt Gene Abdallah, of South Dakota Highway Patrol. Stewart was a part-owner in the jet, according to National Transportation and Safety Board officials.
A US Air Force spokesman, Mr Tyrone Woodyard, said earlier that two F-16 fighter jets had been shadowing the Learjet as it traced a flight path from Florida in the south-east towards the north-western border with Canada.
At the White House, the spokesman, Mr Joe Lockhart, said there were no reports of injuries to people on the ground. He said that two teams of Federal Aviation Authority investigators had been sent to the area.
The US Professional Golf Association (PGA) in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, expressed its condolences.
Stewart is survived by his wife, Tracey, and his children, Chelsea (14) and Aaron (10).
Stewart, born in Missouri but living in Orlando, was a deeply religious man. He was a regular visitor to Europe and was last here three weeks ago, representing the United States in the Alfred Dunhill Cup at St Andrews.
He was recently made honorary captain of Waterville Golf Club for next year. The club's managing director, Mr Jay Connolly, said: "Payne has many supporters in Ireland and on each visit to Waterville he has won the hearts of our small village."