Student killed in crash

A small, one-engine plane crashed outside Martinsville late Friday night, ending the lives of an IU junior and an Indianapolis man.\nThe wreckage of the Cessna 172 was found on a heavily wooded hill northeast of the city, said a Morgan County Sheriff's Department spokesman. \nPilot Dennis W. Kruckeberg Jr., 22, was killed, along with the sole passenger -- his longtime girlfriend, Amanda G. Tunell, 19. \nInvestigators believe heavy fog might have disoriented Kruckeberg, but an exact cause has not been determined, said John Brannen, air safety investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board.\nTunell was majoring in Communication and Culture on a Lilly scholarship. She was taking 19 credit hours in the spring semester with the hope of going on to law school after graduating in May 2002.\n"I loved her very dearly," said junior Brittney Stafford, a close friend since high school who couldn't contain her tears. "I couldn't have asked for a better friend."\nStafford attended Beech Grove High School in Indianapolis with Tunell, who had been a varsity cheerleader and member of the National Honor Society.\nThe couple was flying to Indianapolis from Vincennes, where they had dinner with Kruckeburg's brother, a student at Indiana State University. Following his father's footsteps, Kruckeberg had been a licensed pilot since 1998.\nThe National Transportation Safety Board has no records of any previous flight violations on his part. Brannen said airport officials at Indianapolis had informed Kruckeberg of the weather conditions, which included thick fog.\nThe news came as a shock to Tunell's friends.\n"I don't know when I'll be able to get over this," Stafford said. "She was just the nicest person, always smiling, always friendly. She could always make you laugh."\nSophomore Maureen Grady, who roomed with Tunell last year in McNutt Quad and had been living with her off-campus, remembered Tunell as perpetually radiant.\n"She resembled an angel more than anything," she said. "She was absolutely beautiful. She was so strong, so motivated, so fun, the most fascinating person to hang around with.\n"When I heard the news, I just broke down. I couldn't even speak."\nMorgan County Coroner Dan Downing started the autopsy Sunday, checking for any medical conditions that might have caused Kruckeberg to lose control of the plane. Downing said he doesn't expect a result until Tuesday or Wednesday.\nAlong with Brannen's department and Morgan County authorities, Federal Aviation Administration officials are investigating the crash. The engine was extracted from the wreckage Saturday morning, but a preliminary inspection showed no signs of mechanical failure.\nBrannen said six to nine months might pass before the investigation reveals any conclusive results.\nWhile the issue might remain unresolved, friends and family can only try to cope with the sudden loss.\n"She was an angel," Grady said. "And like an angel, she'll always be there"