14-05-2025
Additional information, witness report released in Trilla plane crash
TRILLA, Ill. (WCIA) — Nearly a month after a plane crash killed four in Trilla, more information on the tragedy has been released, including a witness' report of what happened.
The National Transportation Safety Board has released a preliminary report on the fatal April 19 plane crash. At 10:16 a.m. that day, a Cessna 180G, N4679U airplane crashed and killed a private pilot along with three passengers between Coles and Cumberland counties. The plane was operated under the Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
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The following people, all from Menomonie, Wisconsin, died in the accident:
46-year-old Ross Nelson
45-year-old Raimi Rundle
36-year-old Courtney Morrow
48-year-old Michael Morrow
According to the flight history data, the plane left its home base in Menomonie on April 16 on a visual flight rules cross-country flight to Muhlenberg County Airport in Greenville, Kentucky. The pilot purchased 42 gallons of 100 low lead aviation fuel at Muhlenberg before continuing to John C. Tune Airport in Nashville, Tennessee.
On April 19, the day of the accident, the pilot flew back to Muhlenberg to get a purse that a passenger left at the airport during the previous visit. The pilot then purchased an additional 12.81 gallons of aviation fuel before heading northbound. Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) data showed the plane heading toward Mattoon.
Additionally, a witness reported that he was on a roof performing repairs when he heard a plane overhead. He described the engine sound as 'unusually low' and similar to that of a 'crop duster.' The engine noise then increased, as if the plane was attempting to climb at the end of a low pass.
The witness then heard an explosion and saw a fireball beyond the tree line. He also said that it had recently stopped raining, but that it was 'misting' at the time of the crash. Surveillance video from a location near the accident showed weather conditions that included overcast clouds and light rain.
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The plane was located on a county road approximately eight miles south of Coles County Memorial Airport in Mattoon. An examination of the accident site revealed that the plane struck power lines about 35 feet in height before ground impact.
The debris path extended approximately 100 feet long a '227-degree magnetic heading' and the wreckage was highly fragmented. All of the major components of the airplane were located within the debris field.
'Flight control continuity was confirmed to all flight control surfaces through breaks that were consistent with tension overload,' part of the report reads.
The engine was found partially buried in a crater about 3 feet deep and was heavily impact damaged. The wreckage was then recovered for further examination.
The pilot had a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single engine land. However, he did not hold an instrument rating. This allows pilots to fly under Instrument Flight Rules, enabling them to fly in a wider range of weather conditions. Initial review of the pilot's logbook revealed that he had accumulated approximately 300 hours of total flight experience as of October 2024.
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