Six people, including one child, died Tuesday night when a small single-engine aircraft crashed in a densely wooded area of the Town of Dellona in Sauk County, Wisconsin. Authorities confirmed the victims included five adults and one child. Their names were withheld pending notification of next of kin.
The tragedy unfolded as thunderstorms moved through the region. According to the Sauk County Sheriff’s Office, emergency dispatchers received multiple calls reporting a possible plane crash around 9:31 p.m. local time. The flight used a six-seat Piper PA-46 and traveled a return route from Kenosha Regional Airport to Menomonie, Wisconsin.
Pilot Reports Severe Icing at 24,000 Feet
Preliminary information from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) indicates the aircraft cruised at 24,000 feet when the pilot contacted air traffic control. The pilot reported that ice was rapidly accumulating on the wings and requested permission to descend.
Aviation experts note that ice buildup on wings poses a severe operational hazard. Even minimal ice accumulation disrupts airflow and can critically compromise a pilot’s ability to maintain altitude. Air traffic controllers approved the descent. However, tracking data shows the aircraft entered a right-hand descending turn that accelerated significantly before all communication and radar data abruptly ceased.
Emergency Response and Investigation
Deputies and local emergency personnel located the wreckage in a wooded area roughly 10 miles west of Wisconsin Dells, near Mirror Lake State Park. Authorities confirmed no ground structures were damaged and no injuries occurred on the ground.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the NTSB stepped in to manage the inquiry, with the NTSB leading the federal investigation. Officials are reviewing air traffic control audio transmissions, radar tracking logs, local weather events, the pilot’s flight history, and the aircraft’s maintenance records to determine the sequence of events. A preliminary investigative report is expected within 30 days.
