BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Investigators continue to search for answers following a plane crash late Thursday night that killed five Indiana University students.

The single-engine Cessna disappeared from radar just before midnight as it was moving in to land at the Monroe County Airport, where it crashed just short of the runway.

Federal investigators said there was no cockpit recorder and the plane did not make a distress call.

---

Images: 5 IU Students Killed In Plane Crash

---

A final report on the crash could take a year or more to complete.

Zachary Novak, Georgina Joshi, Garth Eppley, Chris Carducci and Robert Samels -- all graduate students from IU's Jacobs School of Music -- died in the crash. A preliminary coroner's report indicated all were killed instantly.

Joshi was piloting the plane. Professors told 6News that she was a very good pilot and often took groups from the music school to rehearsals.

The students were on their way back from a rehearsal in Lafayette for a concert that was supposed to take place Saturday night. That performance was cancelled, but one scheduled for Sunday night will go on, in honor of the five victims, 6News' Tanya Spencer reported.

The school of music is a close-knit community and the loss of five gifted students is resonating across IU's campus.

"You can really just sense around here ... the vibe, especially this time of year, has completely shifted," said music student Jesse Nolan. "It's a huge tragedy."

Students and professors grieved Saturday. Some rehearsals were cancelled and school officials were doing what they could to help each of the five families.

"One father said to me yesterday that he was looking forward to the career his son was going to have," said Gwyn Richards, Dean of the Jacobs School of Music.

Despite the pain, 400 music students will perform Sunday night. They hope Beethoven's Ninth -- known as "Ode to Joy" -- will be a fitting memorial to five vibrant lives cut short.

"There's a tenor solo in the middle that says, 'Run with joy on your path,'" said Jan Harrington, chair of the Chorale Department. "They'll all be singing for their friends."