Two dead following airplane crash

Two dead following airplane crash

By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief

PERE MARQUETTE TOWNSHIP — Two people died following a plane crash Sunday morning near the Mason County Airport. Emergency personnel were dispatched to the scene at 10:01 a.m. Mason-Oceana 911 initially reported the incident as a car crash, but within a few minutes updated emergency personnel indicating that it was a plane crash.

According to Mason County Sheriff Kim Cole the plane appeared to take off eastbound and “banked hard” in a northerly direction and then crashed. The plane was fully engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived and both occupants were pronounced dead at the scene. Cole said their identity are currently unknown. He said the plane appeared to be a single engine, four-seat plane.

The crash occurred near Meyers and Johnson roads (a small portion of Johnson Road extends west of Meyers Road).

Weather conditions about the time of the crash were 95 percent cloud cover with less than one mile visibility, snowing, with winds 7 mph west-southwest with gusts up to 16 mph. Temperature was 33 degrees.

Emergency personnel responding included Michigan State Police, Pere Marquette Township Fire Department, Ludington Fire Department, Hamlin Fire Department, Mason County Sheriff’s Office, Michigan Department of Natural Resources law enforcement, and Life EMS.

Also responding to the scene were Fountain Area Fire Department Auxiliary and Mason County Medical Examiner.

Cole said Michigan State Police is leading the investigation and will forward its results to the Federal Aviation Administration which is likely to also investigate.

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