Six killed in plane crash in Wisconsin, USA
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Six people lost their lives when a plane crashed near Reedsburg, Wisconsin, USA on Tuesday night, the Sauk County Sheriff's Office said. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that six people were aboard the aircraft.
In its initial statement, the sheriff's office said the Sauk County Dispatch Center received reports of a plane crash shortly after 9:30 p.m. Tuesday (local USA time), reported ABC News.
Deputies and emergency responders subsequently found the aircraft, with multiple people involved in the incident.
Five adults and a child were travelling on the plane, which was returning from Kenosha, Wisconsin, to Menomonie, Wisconsin, officials said in a later statement.
"Following the search, all six people aboard the aircraft were found dead at the scene," the sheriff's office said.
Authorities reported that the wreckage was discovered in a heavily wooded area.
According to the sheriff's office, the aircraft had reportedly been communicating with a nearby air traffic control tower. Investigators are examining the communications to establish what was said and whether weather conditions in the area contributed to the crash.
Officials have not yet released the identities of the victims.
The sheriff's office also confirmed that no damage to buildings or injuries to people on the ground had been reported.
The FAA identified the aircraft as a Piper PA-46.
Preliminary information released by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) indicated that the plane was flying at an altitude of 24,000 feet when the pilot reported icing conditions and requested permission to descend.
The NTSB said air traffic control authorised the descent. The aircraft then entered a right-hand descending turn that became progressively steeper before communications and tracking data were lost.
The agency said it expects to release a preliminary report within 30 days.
The sheriff's office said authorities are continuing their investigation to establish the circumstances that led to the crash.
According to the FAA, both the FAA and the NTSB are investigating the incident, with the NTSB taking the lead.
Reedsburg is a town in southern Wisconsin, near the Wisconsin Dells and approximately 55 miles northwest of Madison, the state capital.
(Source: ABC News)
