Six people killed after small plane crashes in Wisconsin

Published: 12:28 EDT, 14 October 2026 | Updated: 12:28 EDT, 14 October 2026

A small plane crashed in rural Wisconsin, killing six people, including a child, according to police.

The Sauk County Sheriff’s Office was notified of a possible crash around 9.30pm on Tuesday in Dellona, about 125 miles outside of Milwaukee.

When first responders arrived at the scene, they located the crashed aircraft ‘in a densely wooded area’ and immediately started to search for those onboard, the agency said.

During the search, officials found that five adults and one child were aboard a Piper PA-46 that was heading to Menomonie from Kenosha – cities that are about 360 miles apart, investigators said.

They were pronounced dead at the scene, according to the sheriff’s office. None of the victims have been identified.

No one on the ground was injured, and nearby homes were not damaged.

Flightradar captured the moment the plane abruptly crashed after leaving the Kenosha Regional Airport just before 9pm.

The aircraft ‘was reported to be in contact with a nearby traffic control tower’ just moments before, officials stated.

It is unclear what caused the crash, but investigators are looking to see if weather played a role, authorities shared.

The plane was flying at 24,000ft when an unnamed pilot ‘reported icing and requested to descend,’ the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) told the Daily Mail.

Icing occurs when frigid water droplets freeze when they come into contact with the cold exterior of an aircraft. It can cause airflow to be disrupted on a plane’s wings.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the NTSB are looking into the crash.

The NTSB is leading the investigation, a spokesperson with the FAA told the Daily Mail.

Several locals were already searching the area when officials arrived and said they saw a low-flying plane just before, WKOW reported.

A police scanner also picked up a chilling call from an officer.

‘I’ve got, uh, looks like, definitely an airplane seat of some sort with deceased in the front yard,’ the cop said, according to WISN 12.

The area is expected to remain closed through midday Wednesday, police said.

Anyone with information about the crash has been asked to call the sheriff’s office.

The Daily Mail contacted the Sauk County Sheriff’s Office and the NTSB for comment.