Six people, including a child, have died after a plane crashed in a residential area in Wisconsin. The aircraft came down at approximately 9.31pm local time in Park Lane, a residential neighbourhood in Dellona, the Sauk County Sheriff's Office confirmed.
All six passengers killed
Sauk County Sheriff Chip Meister verified that all six passengers aboard the six-seater plane were killed in the crash, which included five adults and one child. Authorities received several reports of a downed aircraft in the town of Dellona, in Sauk County, Wisconsin.
The sheriff's office reported that the plane was a fixed-wing Piper travelling from Kenosha to Menomonie. According to FlightAware, the plane departed Kenosha Regional Airport just before 9pm on Tuesday (October 13).
Pilot contact with tower under investigation
It is alleged that the pilot made contact with a nearby air traffic control tower prior to the crash, and investigations are currently underway to determine the nature of this communication. Sauk County Sheriff Meister stated: "We know that they had contact with the tower prior to the crash. Investigators are looking into that today to find out what that communication was."
The sheriff's office announced that the identities of the six victims have not yet been disclosed. Officials report that emergency services arrived on scene to discover the aircraft in a densely wooded area near Park Lane and Herwig Road.
Emergency response and investigation
The Lake Delton Police Department, Delton Fire Department, Dells/Delton EMS, Sauk County Coroner's Office, and Wisconsin State Patrol were all present at the crash site. The area has been secured and investigators are currently working to establish the details of the crash.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have been informed and will be aiding in the investigation.
