A pilot is dead after a plane crashed the morning of July 22 near Mount Morris in Ogle County.
According to the Ogle County Sheriff’s Office, the crash took place about 9:36 a.m. near 2810 W. Illinois Route 64.
The Ogle County Sheriff’s 911 center dispatched emergency crews and sheriff’s deputies to the scene.
Upon arrival, they discovered a crop-dusting aircraft fully engulfed in flames, the sheriff’s office posted on its Facebook page.
“Fire crews from the Mount Morris Fire Protection District responded and quickly extinguished the fire,” the post states. “The pilot — the sole occupant of the aircraft — was located deceased within the wreckage shortly after the fire was brought under control.”
The investigation will be turned over to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). FAA officials are expected July 22. NTSB investigators anticipated on site July 23. The aircraft will remain at the scene until the federal investigation is complete.
The aircraft struck multiple transmission lines belonging to ComEd during the crash, the post states. Electrical service in the are was impacted. Seven utility poles and several power lines were damaged, leading to significant outages and the closure of Illinois Route 64.
The roadway is expected to remain closed for the remainder of the day to allow for ongoing response and repair efforts.
Corina Curry is the editor of the Rockford Register Star.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Pilot dies in Ogle County plane crash
Reporting by Corina Curry, Rockford Register Star / Rockford Register Star
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