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ST. LOUIS (AP) -- When skydiver and pilot Scott Cowan died in a plane crash along with five other passengers, it was a blow felt throughout the skydiving community.

  Cowan wasn't just an accomplished skydiver in his own right, but belonged to a family that was a well-known "dynasty" to enthusiasts of the sport, said Chris Needels, executive director of the U.S. Parachute Association.

  Cowan co-owned Quantum Leap Skydiving Center in Sullivan, Mo., with his brother, Jim Cowan. The two literally grew up around the sport. Their father, James Cowan, owned and operated the Ripcord West Parachute Center while the boys grew up.

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  "It's a well-known family in the skydiving world," Needels said. "Obviously it's a terrible loss."

  The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating Saturday's plane crash, which occurred near the Sullivan airport where Quantum Leap is based.

  Investigators believe engine failure may have caused the plane carrying skydivers to nosedive soon after takeoff. Two of the eight passengers survived and remain hospitalized in suburban St. Louis.

  NTSB spokeswoman Lauren Peduzzi said a preliminary report on the accident could come as early as next Monday.

  A witness to the crash saw the airplane's right engine burst into flames shortly after it took off, said NTSB investigator Ed Malinowski.

  Cowan was piloting the plane when it crashed, according to the Franklin County Sheriff's Department. Malinowski didn't know if Cowan was in contact with air traffic controllers after the plane took off.

  The appearance of Quantum Leap's office suggests a sense of daredevil good times, with a photo album on a countertop showing skydivers landing stylishly on streams and kicking up water.

  The Cowan brothers had more than 13,000 jumps between them, and both were members of the U.S. Parachute Team that won four world championships and several national skydiving championships since 1990, according to the company's Web site.

  Needels said a team of skydivers from Quantum Leap is nationally known for its "canopy formation" jumps, during which members held onto each other in the air and formed shapes with their open parachutes.

  Needels said he'd frequently run into the Cowan brothers at national skydiving competitions.

  "They competed nationally very well for years," he said.

  Former students of Quantum Leap posted comments on the company's Web Site, offering words of condolence. Some said Scott Cowan was the first person to introduce them to skydiving, and gave them the thrill of their lives.

  "My husband jumped several years ago and it was the best experience of his life," one respondent said. "He was very afraid of heights but Scott Cowan made him feel safe and jumped right along with him."

  In addition to Cowan, other victims in the plane accident were Robert Cook, 22, of Rolla; Melissa Berridge, 38, of St. Louis; Robert Walsh, 44, of Webster Groves; Victoria Delacroix, 22, of Dittmer; and David Paternoster, 35, of Claycomo.

  Berridge was the compliance director for Democrat Claire McCaskill's campaign for the U.S. Senate. In a statement, McCaskill said, "Melissa was a vibrant, loving young woman who embraced life in every way. Our campaign is like a big family, so we are all hurting at this incredible loss. She was such a valued member of our team, but more importantly, she was a good person who cared deeply about others."

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  On the Net:

  Quantum Leap Skydiving: www.skydiveql.com

  National Transportation Safety Board: www.ntsb.gov

  (Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

Quantum Leap Skydiving

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