A single-engine plane crashed in a central Illinois field on Saturday morning, killing all four people on board. According to Coles County Coroner Ed Schniers, the victims included two men and two women. Further details are being withheld until their families are notified.
The aircraft, a Cessna C180G, went down shortly after 10 a.m. near Trilla, an unincorporated community. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) stated via email that initial findings suggest the plane struck power lines before the crash.
“Terrible news out of Coles County,” Gov JB Pritzker said on social media, adding that his administration “is monitoring the situation as we keep those impacted by the plane crash in our thoughts today.”
The Illinois crash is the latest in a string of general aviation accidents across the U.S. In 2022 alone, the NTSB reported over 1,300 incidents, with nearly 350 resulting in fatalities. A significant number were attributed to pilot error, misjudgment of weather conditions, or collisions with obstacles such as trees and power lines.
(With Inputs From Associated Press)