By JOSEPH B. NADEAU

SMITHFIELD — The pilots killed in a plane crash off Clark Road Monday have been identified as Robert A. Zoglio, 43, of Richmond, and Ronald Tetreault, 64, of Glocester.

The experienced pilots had been making an approach into North Central State Airport in Lincoln when the Piper Tomahawk single-engine aircraft owned by Zoglio lost power and went down into woods near a vacant building at 40 Clark Road, according to investigators.
The aircraft exploded in flames upon impact, according to James Warcup, an aeronautics inspector for the Rhode Island Airport Corporation. Smithfield fire and rescue personnel extinguished the fire but both occupants were pronounced dead at the scene.
Zoglio was in the left seat of the aircraft and Tetreault the right, he said. The Tomahawk is typically used for flight training and features dual flight controls. Warcup said it had not been determined as of Tuesday which of the two pilots had control of the plane at the time.
The cause of the accident also remained under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board, the Federal Aviation Administration and his own office, Warcup said.
Investigators from all three agencies were at the scene Tuesday studying the wreckage and collecting evidence for the investigation.
“Right now we are just gathering information and will analyze it later,” he said.
While a final determination of a cause may not come for several months, Warcup said investigators are looking into the possibility the aircraft lost power as it made an approach to North Central after taking off from T.F. Green State Airport at about 5 p.m. Monday.
The investigators should be able to take an initial look at the plane engine on Wednesday before the wreckage is removed from the site, he said.
“Our intent is to get the aircraft off the property and to a suitable location so that we can take our time investigating what happened,” Warcup said.