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FAA: 2nd person dies after small plane crashes in southern Wisconsin

WCCO digital headlines from June 15, 2023
WCCO digital headlines from June 15, 2023 01:27

A second person has died after a small plane crashed shortly after takeoff in southern Wisconsin, authorities said Thursday.

The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the second death Thursday. The identities of the persons killed haven't been released.

The plane had taken off Wednesday from Watertown Municipal Airport, about 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) from the crash site. It crashed around 9 a.m. at Brandt Quirk Park in Watertown, a city in Dodge and Jefferson counties about 48 miles (77 kilometers) northwest of Milwaukee.

The National Transportation Safety Board said in a tweet that it was investigating the crash of a propeller-driven Mooney M20R aircraft near Watertown.

Television helicopter footage from the scene showed apparent aircraft debris spread across a field and in an adjacent wooded area.

Mary Bellows, who lives in Watertown, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that she heard the plane and then a big boom. She said her room shook, and then a large plume of smoke rose near her home.

The crash caused fires that were quickly extinguished by first responders.

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