Fatal accident occurred July 28, 2016 in Stevenstown, La Crosse County, Wisconsin
STEVENSTOWN, WI — A single-engine airplane bound for the La Crosse Regional Airport crashed today near Stevenstown in northern La Crosse County. The plane's pilot was not found in the wreckage, but authorities found a body nearby.
Emergency authorities are at the scene on Hwy. D, south of Stevenstown.
Minneapolis air traffic controllers alerted La Crosse County authorities at 12:15 p.m. today that a single-engine aircraft, which is registered in Minnesota, had fallen off radar. The pilot, believed to be the only person on board, was planning a scheduled stop in La Crosse, according to La Crosse County Sheriff Chief Deputy Jeff Wolf.
About 1:45 p.m., authorities were able to get information from a cellphone aboard the plane that showed it was located near Stevenstown.
Crews at 4:15 p.m. began a line search from Hwy. V to William Severson Road. They found the plane about 6:15 p.m. The Civil Air Patrol’s La Crosse squadron is assisting with the search.
It’s believed the pilot left a Twin Cities airport, with a planned stop in La Crosse before heading to Appleton, Wis. The pilot did not report any problems before the plane disappeared from radar, according to authorities.
Authorities have set up a command post at Lewis Valley Church in Stevenstown. Assisting with the search were Farmington and Holmen first responders, the La Crosse County Sheriff’s Department, the Wisconsin State Patrol and Tri-State Ambulance Service.
Source: http://lacrossetribune.com
STEVENSTOWN — Authorities are searching northern La Crosse County for a missing airplane that was bound for the La Crosse Regional Airport.
Minneapolis air traffic controllers alerted La Crosse County authorities at 12:15 p.m. today that a single-engine aircraft, which is registered in Minnesota, had fallen off radar.
The pilot, who is believed to be the only person on board, was planning a scheduled stop in La Crosse, according to La Crosse County Sheriff Chief Deputy Jeff Wolf.
At about 1:45 p.m., authorities were able to get information from a cellphone aboard the plane that showed it was located near Stevenstown.
Crews at 4:15 p.m. began a line search from Hwy. V to William Severson Road. The Civil Air Patrol’s La Crosse squadron is assisting with the search.
It’s believed the pilot left a Twin Cities airport, with a planned stop in La Crosse before heading to Appleton, Wisconsin.
The pilot did not report any problems before the plane disappeared from radar, according to authorities.
Authorities have set up a command post at Lewis Valley Church in Stevenstown.
Assisting with the search are Farmington and Holmen first responders, the La Crosse County Sheriff’s Department, the Wisconsin State Patrol and Tri-State Ambulance Service.
The most recent aviation crash in La Crosse County was May 10, 2008, when a medical helicopter crashed into a bluff side, killing all three people aboard, according to the National Transportation Safety Board’s accident database. The last crash in the Coulee Region was in August 2014, when a helicopter went down while dusting crops near Tomah, injuring the pilot.
Source: http://lacrossetribune.com
LA CROSSE CO., Wis. (WKBT) - Authorities searching for a missing plane in northern La Crosse Co. have located the wreckage.
The plane was found near the area of County Hwy. D and Anderson Rd., northeast of Holmen.
La Crosse Co. Sheriff's Dept. Chief Deputy Jeff Wolf tells News 8 that only the male pilot was believed to be on board the single-engine plane.
Wolf also says a body was found outside of the wreckage, which is believed to be the pilot.
Previous Story:
Officials say they received a cell phone ping from the missing airplane at approximately 1:45 P.M. pinpointing it to the Farmington area.
A ground search is in progress with the Civil Air Patrol surrounding a designated 4 mile radius.
There has been no contact with the pilot or the passenger.
It is believed the airplane was heading to the Appleton airport with a stop in La Crosse.
Previous Story:
La Crosse County Sheriff's Department is searching for an airplane that went missing Thursday afternoon.
Officials are looking for the overdue single engine plane by the Lewis Valley Lutheran Church along County T near Holmen.
There is believed to be one occupant in the plane.
Source: http://www.news8000.com
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Wreckage of missing plane, deceased pilot found in northern La Crosse Co.
Published On: Jul 28 2016 03:02:58 PM CDT Updated On: Jul 28 2016 11:59:33 PM CDT
Update: Wreckage of missing plane found in northern La Crosse Co.
Show Transcript
LA CROSSE CO., Wis. (WKBT) -
One person is dead following a plane crash in northern La Crosse County.
The plane coming from Minnesota fell off of radar at about 12:15 Thursday afternoon after being scheduled to land in La Crosse.
Once authorities determined the plane never reached the La Crosse Regional Airport, they began a rescue search.
They quickly realized the cloudy weather was going to pose a big problem. It meant that planes or helicopters couldn't be used.
With a ground search being their only option, some forty searchers from several different agencies quickly gathered in a church parking lot in the Town of Farmington to figure out where they should start to look.
"At approximately 1:45 p.m., we received a cell phone ping believed to becoming from the airplane. It took us to an area near Stevenstown," said La Crosse Co. Sheriff's Dept. Chief Deputy Jeff Wolf.
And once they finally had about a square four mile area to search, the terrain itself was still a big challenge.
"Well, we got wet terrain, steep terrain, 12 standing corn, it's just difficult to go through," said Wolf.
And then one local man realized he had heard something earlier in the day that he eventually related to the plane crash and alerted authorities.
"I was just here earlier today. I heard something that sounded like it possibly could've been a car crash, so I just looked out the window, didn't see anything and just kind of brushed it off. It's not every day that something like this happens," said Tyler Anderson, whose parents own the farm where the plane went down.
After this tip, it wasn't long before search crews found the wreckage of that small single engine plane on the Anderson's farm in Holmen.
And sadly, it appears the pilot may have tried to walk away from the wreckage before succumbing to his injuries.
"They discovered that nobody was present inside the aircraft. It's our assumption in the early moments here that the pilot was injured and may have walked away from the scene," said Wolf.
A body believed to be the pilot's was eventually found nearby, but because of his injuries identification may take some time.
The wreckage will not be moved until the National Transportation Safety Board has a chance to examine it. NTSB Officials are expected to view it Friday.
Previous Story:
Authorities searching for a missing plane in northern La Crosse Co. have located the wreckage.
The plane was found near the area of County Hwy. D and Anderson Rd., northeast of Holmen.
La Crosse Co. Sheriff's Dept. Chief Deputy Jeff Wolf tells News 8 that only the male pilot was believed to be on board the single-engine plane.
Wolf also says a body was found outside of the wreckage, which is believed to be the pilot.
The farmer who owns the property where the wreckage was located says the crash site is difficult to access. He said he heard a loud noise earlier this afternoon and thought it was a car crash on the highway. When he heard reports about a missing plane, he alerted authorities.
The wreckage is being left in the field until investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board arrive on scene.
Previous Story:
Officials say they received a cell phone ping from the missing airplane at approximately 1:45 P.M. pinpointing it to the Farmington area.
A ground search is in progress with the Civil Air Patrol surrounding a designated 4 mile radius.
There has been no contact with the pilot or the passenger.
It is believed the airplane was heading to the Appleton airport with a stop in La Crosse.
Previous Story:
La Crosse County Sheriff's Department is searching for an airplane that went missing Thursday afternoon.
Officials are looking for the overdue single engine plane by the Lewis Valley Lutheran Church along County T near Holmen.
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Date:
28-JUL-2016
Time: 12:15
Type:
Mooney M20J 201
Owner/operator: Private
Registration: N54PM
C/n / msn: 24-1677
Fatalities: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities: 0
Airplane damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location: La Crosse County near Stevenstown, WI-
United States of America Phase: En route
Nature: Unknown
Departure airport: Willmar Muni (KBDH)
Destination airport: La Crosse Rgnl (KLSE)
Narrative:
The aircraft lost radar coverage and is presumed down in La Crosse County near Stevenstown while enroute to La Crosse Regional Airport (KLSE), La Crosse, Wisconsin. The aircraft was located in cornfield terrain near Stevenstown, northeast of Holmen, Wisconsin. The airplane sustained substantial damage and the sole pilot onboard received fatal injuries.
Sources:
http://www.kathrynsreport.com/2016/07/single-engine-airplane-bound-for-la.html
http://www.wxow.com/story/32566105/2016/07/28/searchers-looking-in-ne-la-crosse-county-for-overdue-plane
http://lacrossetribune.com/news/local/update-plane-crashes-in-northern-la-crosse-county-body-found/article_fa3da833-7610-5844-8c73-964a121a6187.html
https://www.google.com/maps/@44.0044324,-91.1899878,14z/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en-us
FAA
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N54PM
http://www.ctaeropics.com/NorthAmerica/USA/US-Light-Aircraft/i-wvRVCWT