BUFFALO, Minn. — A small plane crashed at Buffalo Municipal Airport on Sunday afternoon, drawing a multi-agency emergency response, according to KARE 11, which has a reporter on the scene.
KARE 11 reporter Dave Peterlechner said investigators are working to determine what caused the crash.
Peterlechner also reported that the aircraft was a replica Piper, and that at least two people were on board when it went down.
In a statement to NCN Media on Sunday night, the FAA said a replica Piper PA18 crashed while departing from Buffalo Municipal Airport around 4:20 p.m. local time, with two people on board. The FAA said both it and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate, with the NTSB in charge of the investigation and providing all updates. The FAA noted the information is preliminary and subject to change.
In an update to NCN Media late Sunday night, the NTSB said it has opened an investigation into the crash of what it described as an experimental PA-18 Replica airplane. The NTSB said an investigator is traveling to the accident site, and that the wreckage will be documented, recovered, and moved to a secure facility for further examination. The agency put the crash time at 4:22 p.m. CDT.
According to a Buffalo Police Department statement reported by WJON News, two men were aboard the aircraft. Mikael Rovala, 39, of Kalispell, Montana, died at the scene, and Aaron Johnson, 40, of Gillette, Wyoming, was taken from the scene in critical condition. Buffalo fire and police departments responded to the crash report around 4:10 p.m. Sunday, and the airport remains closed while the investigation continues.
WCCO reporter Frankie McClister, also on the scene, reported that the FAA says the crash happened around 4:20 p.m., and that two people were on board — their conditions are still unknown. Photos from the scene show the small aircraft overturned on the airfield, next to a red emergency vehicle with firefighter gear visible nearby. In an earlier post, the reporter described the crash as deadly, though no official has confirmed that as of Sunday evening.
Emergency crews were dispatched to the area near 1309 County Road 134 Northeast, and the airport was temporarily closed during the response, according to scanner and social-media monitoring accounts.
Unconfirmed reports circulating online claim two people were trapped beneath the wreckage and required extrication, and raised concerns about a possible fuel leak. NCN has not independently verified those claims, and no official statement on the conditions of the two people on board, or the cause of the crash, has been released.
The investigation is ongoing. NCN will update this story as officials release more information.
- National Correspondent Network.
