Troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol were on the scene of two small plane crashes that occurred Monday morning in northeast Nebraska.
The Nebraska State Patrol is the lead investigating agency on the plane crash that occurred in Knox County. The crash was reported at approximately 9:30 a.m. Monday. The location is approximately 4 miles southwest of Crofton, Nebraska.
First responders, including troopers and Knox County Sheriff’s deputies, located the pilot, who was pronounced deceased at the scene. The pilot was the lone occupant of the plane at the time of the crash. The pilot has been identified as 73-year old Joseph Rudloff of Norfolk.
The second crash occurred a short time later near Wayne. The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office and Nebraska State Patrol responded to the crash located approximately 7 miles north and 3 miles west of Wayne. The pilot has been identified as Charles Jospeh Finck (age 79) of Elk River, MN. The FAA and NTSB continue to investigate the cause of the crash.
The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office and Nebraska State Patrol were assisted by the Wayne Fire Department, Providence Medical Center, Emergency Management from Wayne, Cedar, Dixon, and Stanton Counties, and Nebraska Game and Parks.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating both crashes and the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) is conducting an investigation into the cause of the Wayne plane crash.
