Editor’s note: The following information was released by the Whitewater Fire Department Saturday, May 15.
At 9:15 p.m. on Saturday the Whitewater Fire Department was dispatched to the area of Hi-Lo Road in the Kettle Moraine Forest for a report of a possible plane crash. Walworth County was initially alerted to the incident by Milwaukee Air Traffic Control regarding a plane that had dropped from radar.
A 911 call placed by the pilot of the aircraft allowed the Walworth County Sheriff’s Department to better pinpoint the location of the crash near the Ice Age Trail, off of County Road P. It took crews approximately 45 minutes to locate the crash site and make contact with the individuals involved. Initial reports are the plane was traveling from Sheboygan to Burlington when it lost power and was forced to deploy an emergency parachute. The aircraft was located approximately 75 (feet) off the ground in the forest canopy with three occupants on board. No injuries were reported.
MABAS (Mutual Aid Box Alarm System) Boxes 12-14 were requested bringing assistance from Janesville, Beloit, Elkhorn, LaGrange and Madison’s Heavy Urban Rescue Team. Dudek Tree Service was also requested for the company’s experience in scaling trees. Due to the plane’s location and terrain, rescuers were initially delayed in reaching the site. ATVs and rescuers on foot were utilized to ferry equipment and provide access.
It took crews approximately five hours, utilizing rope systems, to safely extract the there occupants from the single-engine aircraft. The individuals involved were not injured and were quickly reunited with their families.
The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) was expecting to be on scene Sunday to investigate the incident. Plans to remove the aircraft were ongoing.
A single-engine plane carrying three passengers dropped from radar and was found lodged in the tree canopy in the Kettle Moraine Forest Saturday night. The above photos, courtesy of the Whitewater Fire Department, were shared through the Jefferson County Scanner Facebook page.
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