Three men dead following plane crash in Carroll County
OWASCO, Ind. (WISH) — Three men who died in a plane crash Thursday night in Carroll County have been identified.
John Pagel, the owner of a large farm in Wisconsin, his son-in-law, Steven Witcpalek, and pilot Nathan Saari all died in the crash.
Pagel was the CEO of his family farm Pagel’s Ponderosa.
The Pagel family released this statement on Friday afternoon:
Many of you heard our family and extended family is grieving the loss of owner, father, person and friend, John T. Pagel, as well as John’s son-in-law, Steven Witcpalek, and pilot Nathan Saari. We appreciate the outpouring of the communities thoughts and prayers and request your respect for the privacy of the family as we wait for additional information. As we know more details we will keep you informed.
The plane was on its way from Indianapolis to Green Bay, Wisconsin, according to its flight plan. It had flown from Green Bay to Indianapolis Thursday morning, arriving at 9:30 a.m.
The crash of the Cessna Conquest II twin-turboprop happened about 7:35 p.m. near the intersection of county roads 600 South and 450 West, about 3 miles north of the town of Rossville and less than a mile east of the unincorporated community of Owasco.
The plane was headed to Green Bay-Austin Straubel International Airport, according to WFRV, our sister station in Green Bay.
Witnesses told police they heard a racecar sound before the crash.
Emergency radio traffic indicated a large debris field.