DULUTH, Minn. — Two people died in a plane crash near Duluth Wednesday morning, according to the St. Louis County Sheriff’sOffice.
Officials said in a press release that first responders were notified of reports of a single-engine plane crash around 8 a.m. near the 8300 block of Pequaywan Lake Road, just over a half-hour drive from downtown Duluth.
A state duty officer had received a call from Air Force rescue about a registered aircraft beacon alarm. A spotter plane nearby also clocked a possible wreckage on the ground, the sheriff's department said.
Officials believe the aircraft took off from Duluth International Airport Wednesday morning and was on a “return to service” flight. The plane had recently completed an annual inspection, officials believe.
The plane was determined to be a 1946 Aeronca Champ, which seats two people.
Investigators have not yet determined what caused the plane to crash. The National Transportation Safety Board confirmed in a tweet Wednesday morning that the agency is aiding in the investigation.
The names of the crash victims will be released after the two passengers are identified and the next of kin are notified.
WATCH MORE ON KARE 11+
Download the free KARE 11+ app for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV and other smart TV platforms to watch more from KARE 11 anytime! The KARE 11+ app includes live streams of all of KARE 11's newscasts. You'll also find on-demand replays of newscasts; the latest from KARE 11 Investigates, Breaking the News and the Land of 10,000 Stories; exclusive programs like Verify and HeartThreads; and Minnesota sports talk from our partners at Locked On Minnesota.
- Add KARE 11+ on Roku here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Roku Channel Store.
- Add KARE 11+ on Fire TV here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Amazon App Store.
- Learn more about the KARE 11+ app for Apple TV in the Apple App Store.
- Learn more about KARE 11+ here.
Watch more local news:
Watch the latest local news from the Twin Cities and across Minnesota in our YouTube playlist:
