Current:Home > InvestBad weather cited in 2 fatal Nebraska plane crashes minutes apart -WealthSphere Pro
Bad weather cited in 2 fatal Nebraska plane crashes minutes apart
View
Date:2025-04-17 19:48:59
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Bad weather was reported near two Nebraska farm fields where small planes crashed minutes apart in August, according to preliminary reports from the National Transportation Safety Board.
The two crashes happened on Aug. 26, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) apart, and within 50 minutes of each other, the Omaha World-Herald reported Thursday. While the NTSB reports don’t yet cite a probable cause in either crash, both reports include witness accounts of low clouds and bad weather.
Joseph Rudloff, 73, of Norfolk, Nebraska, died when his single-engine plane, a two-seat RANS S19, crashed at 8:41 a.m. near the town of Crofton. At 9:31 a.m., a single-engine Piper Cherokee piloted by 79-year-old Charles J. Finck of Elk River, Minnesota, crashed near Wayne, Nebraska.
No one else was aboard either plane beyond the pilots.
Rudloff’s obituary described him as “an avid flier” who died after his plane was engulfed in thick fog. The NTSB report said that 11 minutes before the crash, he called a pilot friend saying he was over Yankton, South Dakota, but unable to land there because of poor weather. Yankton was seeing fog and light rain at the time.
Rudloff’s friend suggested he fly to an airport in Nebraska. Rudloff’s plane hit the ground near Crofton in the far northeastern corner of Nebraska.
That same morning, a landowner near Wayne heard an engine revving on a plane that turned out to be Finck’s. The landowner then heard a pop sound and saw a black plume of smoke coming from his cornfield. He told investigators that clouds were near the ground when he heard the plane fly by. Rain also was falling.
veryGood! (46499)
Related
- Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie return for an 'Encore,' reminisce about 'The Simple Life'
- Matthew Gaudreau's Pregnant Wife Celebrates Baby Shower One Month After ECHL Star's Tragic Death
- Another tough loss with Lincoln Riley has USC leading college football's Week 7 Misery Index
- WNBA and players’ union closing in on opt out date for current collective bargaining agreement
- See you latte: Starbucks plans to cut 30% of its menu
- How long does COVID last? Here’s when experts say you'll start to feel better.
- Shocker! No. 10 LSU football stuns No. 8 Ole Miss and Lane Kiffin in dramatic finish
- How The Unkind Raven bookstore gave new life to a Tennessee house built in 1845
- DeepSeek: Did a little known Chinese startup cause a 'Sputnik moment' for AI?
- Not exactly smooth sailing at the 52nd Albuquerque balloon fiesta after 4 incidents
Ranking
- Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
- Teddi Mellencamp Details the Toughest Part of Her Melanoma Battle: You Have Very Dark Moments
- WNBA and players’ union closing in on opt out date for current collective bargaining agreement
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Age Brackets
- $73.5M beach replenishment project starts in January at Jersey Shore
- Wisconsin officials require burning permits in 13 counties as dry conditions continue
- As 'Pulp Fiction' turns 30, we rank all Quentin Tarantino movies
- Who plays on Monday Night Football? Breaking down Week 6 matchup
Recommendation
Why we love Bear Pond Books, a ski town bookstore with a French bulldog 'Staff Pup'
Who plays on Monday Night Football? Breaking down Week 6 matchup
'The Penguin' star Cristin Milioti loved her stay in Arkham Asylum: 'I want some blood'
WNBA and players’ union closing in on opt out date for current collective bargaining agreement
2025 'Doomsday Clock': This is how close we are to self
My Skin Hasn’t Been This Soft Since I Was Born: The Exfoliating Foam That Changed Everything
'Terrifier 3' spoilers! Director unpacks ending and Art the Clown's gnarliest kills
Giants vs. Bengals live updates: Picks, TV info for Week 6 'Sunday Night Football' game