Six people, including a child, were killed when a small airplane plunged into a densely wooded area of Wisconsin Tuesday night after the pilot reportedly warned air traffic controllers about dangerous ice forming on the aircraft.
The devastating crash happened around 9:30 p.m. on October 13 near Dellona, a rural community outside Wisconsin Dells, approximately 55 miles northwest of Madison.
Authorities confirmed that five adults and one child were aboard the Piper PA-46 when it went down near Mirror Lake State Park. Everyone on board was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to the Sauk County Sheriff’s Office, dispatchers began receiving multiple reports of a possible plane crash around 9:31 p.m. near Park Lane.
Emergency crews rushed to the area and discovered the wreckage hidden deep in a heavily wooded section north of Park Lane and west of Herwig Road.
Rescuers immediately began searching for survivors, but their efforts ended in tragedy when all six occupants were found dead.
The aircraft had departed Kenosha Regional Airport in southeastern Wisconsin shortly before 9 p.m. and was heading toward Menomonie in the western part of the state.
Investigators are now examining troubling communications between the pilot and air traffic controllers shortly before the crash.
According to the National Transportation Safety Board, the plane was flying at approximately 24,000 feet when the pilot reported icing conditions and requested permission to descend.
Air traffic control approved the descent, but flight-tracking information indicates the aircraft entered a steep right turn before communication and tracking were lost.
The plane subsequently crashed into the wooded area.
Aircraft icing occurs when supercooled water droplets freeze onto an airplane’s surfaces, potentially disrupting airflow over the wings and affecting its ability to remain airborne.
Although investigators are examining whether icing or other weather conditions contributed to the disaster, officials have not yet determined the cause.
Witnesses in the area reportedly noticed an aircraft flying unusually low before the crash. Several residents began searching the surrounding woods even before emergency crews arrived.
A police scanner recording obtained by WISN 12 captured one responding officer describing what appeared to be airplane wreckage in a nearby yard.
Despite the severity of the crash, no homes were damaged, and nobody on the ground was injured.
Authorities have not publicly identified the victims, pending notification of their families.
The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board have launched an investigation, with the NTSB taking the lead.
Investigators are expected to examine weather conditions, air traffic control recordings, flight-tracking data, the pilot’s experience, and the aircraft’s maintenance history to determine what caused the plane to go down.
A preliminary NTSB report is generally released within 30 days, although a final determination can take considerably longer.
The crash site remained secured Wednesday as investigators continued collecting evidence from the wreckage.
Discover more from
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.