Two dead in Madeline Island plane crash

A singe engine plane crash in a heavily wooded area near the runway of the Madeline Island Airport claimed two lives Saturday night.

The Ashland County 911 Communications Center received a call reporting a possible crash at 6:34 p.m. Saturday night. La Pointe Police Officers were then dispatched approximately 200 yards south of the runway where the aircraft was found fully engulfed in flames.The plane, possibly a piper Comanche, was reportedly attempting to land when it went off course into the wooded area short of the runway.

Two victims were recovered from the crash site with the assistance of the La Pointe Fire Department and the Ashland County Coroner. The victims were then transported to the Dane County medical examiner’s office for an autopsy. Until a positive identification has been made, the names of the victims are being withheld.

The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Milwaukee Office FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board with assistance from the La Pointe Police Department, the Ashland County Coroner’s Office and the Ashland County Sheriff’s Office.