1 dead after small plane crashes at airport northwest of Twin Cities, FAA says

Federal authorities are investigating after a fatal plane crash northwest of the Twin Cities late Sunday afternoon.

The Federal Aviation Administration says a replica Piper PA-18 crashed while departing from Buffalo Municipal Airport around 4:20 p.m. The Buffalo Police Department said 39-year-old Mikael Rovala of Kalispell, Montana, died in the crash and Aaron Johnson, 40, of Gillette, Wyoming, was taken to a hospital in critical condition. 

The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are in charge of the investigation. Officials say the wreckage will be moved to a secure facility for further examination after its documented at the scene.

Witnesses tell WCCO the plane was headed to Montana, and they saw emergency crews take one person away immediately by ambulance. Later, crews used a tarp to cover parts of the wreckage.

Throughout Monday, people stopped along the public road near the crash scene to watch the investigators work.

When asked about the incident, Buffalo resident Ann Lord said, "Just very concerned and sorry for the family and the people that lost their lives. It's just a horrible tragedy."

In an initial report, the FAA says the "aircraft crashed under unknown circumstances."

One pilot told WCCO on Monday that officials at the Buffalo airport double-check all departures and landings.

Buffalo is located about 42 miles northwest of Minneapolis.