Names released in Sheldon plane crash
10:35 a.m. WednesdayDES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have released the names of three Wisconsin men killed in a small plane crash in northwest Iowa.
By: Justine Wettschreck, Worthington Daily Globe
10:35 a.m. Wednesday Update
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have released the names of three Wisconsin men killed in a small plane crash in northwest Iowa.
The sheriff's office on Wednesday identified the men as 64-year-old Francis Allegretti, of Cambridge, Wis.; 60-year-old Thomas Boos, of Fort Atkinson, Wis.; and 65-year-old Malcolm McMillan, of Milton, Wis.
5:20 p.m. Tuesday Update
SHELDON, Iowa — The O’Brien County Sheriff’s Office is not yet releasing the names of three adult males killed in a single engine plane crash around 11 a.m. Tuesday.
The names of the victims were withheld pending notification of family members.
According to O’Brien County Chief Deputy Allen Schuknecht, his office was notified at 11:01 a.m. that a witness discovered the wreckage after seeing what he thought was an attempt to land and checking out the landing area. He immediately called the sheriff’s office.
During a press conference at the Law Enforcement Center in Primghar, Iowa, Schuknecht said it appeared as though the small plane had attempted to land on the gravel road or in a nearby field. The pilot and two passengers were killed on impact, Schuknecht believes. There was no fire or explosion, and all three bodies remained in the cabin of the plane.
They were removed and brought to Sheldon.
The crash site was about five miles from the Sheldon airport, but no flight plan was filed, so the plane’s destination is unclear.
“We’re not sure where they were flying from or flying to,” said a spokesperson for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The plane, a single-engine Piper 28 built in 1968, is owned by Jerome Goodger of Milton, Wis., who was not on the plane. A person answering the phone Tuesday at the number listed for Goodger said he was home but unavailable.
Deputies found the plane partially on its top at the edge of the gravel road. It had suffered major structural damage but appeared largely intact.
“It just flew into an embankment,” Schuknecht said. “It looked like it might have been able to land if it hadn’t hit that road.”
While the weather was cloudy, the skies were darkened and gusts of wind were present, Schuknecht doesn’t believe those factors contributed to the crash.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the plane still sat on the embankment with its tail in the air.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the FAA will be in charge of the investigation to determine what caused the plane to go down. FAA investigators were en route to the scene to collect evidence Tuesday afternoon. The evidence will be turned over to the NTSB.
The Sanborn Fire and Rescue, Sheldon Ambulance and Iowa Highway Patrol assisted the O’Brien County Sheriff’s Office at the scene.
Information in this story was also provided by The Associated Press.
Initial Post
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Federal Aviation Administration says three people have died in a single engine plane crash near the northwest Iowa town of Sheldon.
FAA spokesman Tony Molinaro says the Piper 28 went down about 11 a.m. Tuesday.
Molinaro says the plane, built in 1968, was owned by a Milton, Wis. The man apparently wasn't aboard.
Molinaro says the pilot didn't file a flight plan and it wasn't immediately known where the plane was flying from or its destination.
O'Brien County Sheriff Chief Deputy Allen Schuknecht (SHOOT'-nick) told KICD radio the plane crashed in a field and ended up on partially on its top.
There were strong winds in the area at the time, but Schuknecht says officials don't know if weather was a factor in the crash.
More information and a full story on the crash will be posted as soon as possible. A press conference was scheduled for 3 p.m. today.
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