A crash site believed to be that of a plane missing following takeoff Saturday morning from the Ainsworth Regional Airport has been located in Brown County.
The Brown County Sheriff’s Department was notified that a plane that took off Saturday morning from the Ainsworth Regional Airport did not reach its destination.
Sheriff Bruce Papstein said the 10-seat plane took off between 10:12 a.m. and 10:28 a.m. Saturday with just the pilot on board. The plane was headed to North Dakota.
A suspected crash site was located in Brown County Saturday evening. Ainsworth Fire Chief Brad Fiala said the site will be secured until investigators from the Federal Aviation Administration can arrive to investigate. Those investigators are expected to reach the site by Sunday afternoon.
Papstein said the pilot of the plane is suspected to have died in the crash.
A search began Saturday after the plane did not reach its destination. It was not located on radar, or at any airport along its anticipated route.
Papstein said attempts were made to coordinate the location of the pilot’s cellular phone, but to no avail.
The FAA activated a search and rescue team. The suspected crash site was discovered in Brown County only a few miles from the Ainsworth Regional Airport.
The pilot’s name has not been released pending notification of relatives and the arrival of the FAA investigation team.
From KBRB Radio