Small plane crash in Illinois leaves 4 dead

Four people from Wisconsin were killed when a small plane crashed in Illinois on Saturday morning, according to officials.

The single-engine Cessna 180 went down around 10:15 a.m. on Saturday in a field southeast of Coles County Memorial Airport, near the community of Trilla, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). WCIA reported, citing Illinois State Police, that the aircraft crashed at 551-587 County Road 1400 North, near the border of Coles and Cumberland counties, approximately three miles south of Mattoon.

All four occupants were pronounced dead at the scene. The victims included two men and two women from Menomonie, WI, according to the Coles County Sheriff’s Office, though their names have not yet been released pending next-of-kin notification.

A Coles County emergency official told WCIA that the plane appeared to have clipped power lines before crashing into a field on the Cumberland County side of the road.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed the crash and said the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will take the lead on the investigation. The NTSB is expected to begin its on-site work.

“Terrible news out of Coles County,” Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said on Saturday. “My administration is monitoring the situation as we keep those impacted by the plane crash in our thoughts today. Thank you to the first responders who rushed to the scene.”