A Cessna C180G airplane crashed in a field in Trilla, IL, after hitting power lines on April 19, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
The four people in the plane were from Menomonie, WI. They were flying back to the diary state from Nashville Tennessee. The Coles County coroner released the names of the victims on April 20. The victims, all from Menomonie, were Ross Nelson, 46, Raimi Rundle, 45, Courtney Morrow, 36 and Michael Morrow, 48. All four were pronounced dead at the scene.
The NTSB is conducting an on-scene examination and collecting evidence related to the crash. The aircraft will be recovered and taken to a secure facility for further evaluation.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said his administration is providing assistance to the National Transportation Safety Board as the agency investigates the incident.
“My administration is monitoring the situation as we keep those impacted by the plane crash in our thoughts today,” Pritzker wrote on X, formally known as Twitter. “Thank you to the first responders who rushed to the scene.”
The NTSB released a statement saying their investigation will be in the three primary areas; the pilot, the aircraft and the operating environment. As part of the investigation the NTSB said it will review flight track data, recordings of any air traffic control communications, aircraft maintenance records and weather reports from around the time of the crash.
The agency said it is also reviewing the pilot’s license, ratings and flight experience. The NTSB is also conducting a background check on the pilot to “determine if there were any issues that could have affected the pilot’s ability to safely operate the flight.”
The probable cause report on the crash is expected to be released by the agency in 12-24 months.