4 people killed in Anderson plane crash
UPDATE: In an press release sent at 7:04 p.m. Saturday, the Madison County Coroner’s Office identified the four victims in the plane crash as Joseph R. Scallon, 68, of Iowa Falls, Iowa, “Owen” James Renaud, 19, of Alden, Iowa, Jesse H. Ostheimer, 41, of Alden, Iowa, and Braden W. Hicks, 36, of Manson, Iowa. According to the press release, the plane lose altitude for an undetermined reason and crashed. The crash is still under investigation.
ANDERSON, Ind. (WISH) – At least one person is dead after a single-engine plane crashed Friday morning into a cornfield just east of Anderson, Indiana.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash.
Eyewitnesses told police the plane looked like it was trying to turn to go towards the Anderson Municipal Airport when it flipped over and nosedived into the corn field.
“We heard the plane go over the building, and then we heard the loud thud, but before that, it was a lot of rattling,” Vickie Sullinger said.
Sullinger works at a business that is right next to the cornfield where the plane went down.
“It didn’t sound right, and when we heard the thud I thought, ‘Could that have been the plane?’ And we came outside, and sure enough, there was the smoke,” Sullinger said.
The Madison County Sheriff’s Department said the plane originated from Fort Dodge, Iowa. It belongs to a company, but they are not releasing the company’s name. The plane was supposed to land just before 10 a.m.
“The plane was making its initially approach to the Anderson airport,” said Captain Darwin Dwiggins with the Madison County Sheriff’s Department. “They were too high. They were told to reroute and make another approach.”
Investigators are unsure exactly how many people died in the crash.
“The initial flight plan was for four people on board,” Dwiggins said. “We can’t verify that four people actually got on the plane. That’s just what the initial flight plan was for.”
The Madison County Sheriff’s Department said the crash is emotional for all of the first responders on the scene.
That emotion was also felt by Sullinger.
“It’s terrible,” Sullinger said. “I can only imagine who’s getting the phone call. Just praying for the family today.”
Once investigators figure out how many people were on board, the Madison County Coroner’s Office will work on identifying exactly who they are.