Plane Crash In Western Wisconsin Leaves 4 People Dead

AMERY, Wis. (WCCO) -- A small aircraft carrying four people crashed in Polk County, Wisconsin Monday evening, killing all those inside.

The plane, a Beech M35 aircraft, crashed in a field near the intersection of 150th Street and 30th Avenue, just southwest of Amery in the town of Alden. All four victims are from Wisconsin.

Officials from the Polk County Sheriff's Office, Amery Fire Department and Dresser-Osceola-Garfield Fire Department were dispatched to the scene. Authorities believe the plane originated from within 50 miles of the crash site.

Witnesses describe seeing the plane spiral down and crash into a ball of flames. They rushed over to the crash site to find another man on a four-wheeler trying to help. They say there wasn't much they could do.

A picture after the crash shows a bystander rushing toward the wreckage to help:

The plane landed on Karen Olson's property.

"I heard a plane, pounding on my door and someone said 'A plane crashed in your field and your field is on fire,'" she said. "All I could see was smoke."

When fire units extinguished the flames, the remains of four people were recovered and sent to the Polk County Medical Examiner's office in Anoka for autopsies and positive identifications.

The Federal Aviation Administration, the National Transportation Safety Board and the Polk County Sheriff are investigating.