Franklin County Plane Crash Claims Three Lives

Oldenburg-Yesterday, December 16th, at approximately 9:10 pm, the Indiana State Police responded to reports of a plane crash in a wooded area in the 5000 Block of North Hamburg Road that claimed the lives of all three people on board.

The Indiana State Police were notified when reports came in that an aircraft had crashed and that the plane possibly caught fire after crashing.  Cincinnati Air Traffic Control reported that a plane that was being tracked disappeared from RADAR in the area where the crash was reported. Officers arrived on scene and located the fire from the wreckage in a heavily wooded area behind a residence.  Fire personnel were able to make it to the crash scene and extinguish the flames.

As a result of the crash, three people were found deceased at the scene along with one deceased dog.  A second dog survived the crash and showed up at a nearby residence.  The dog was taken to a local veterinarian to be treated for injuries. 

The initial investigation has determined that the single engine Cessna (Tail Number N761YZ) had left Kansas City, Missouri and was heading to an airport in Frederick, Maryland when the crash occurred.  It is unclear at this time what caused the plane to crash.

Tomorrow, December 18th, autopsies will be performed on all three victims of the crash. The victims’ identities will not be released until the Franklin County Coroner’s Office can confirm their identities and speak with the next of kin.

The Indiana State Police is conducting a joint investigation with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).  The investigation is ongoing and may take weeks to complete. 

The Indiana State Police was initially assisted by numerous police and fire departments in Franklin County as well as the Franklin County Coroner’s Office.

Attached:  Photos of the Scene 

-30-                                          SGT. STEPHEN WHEELES