Six Killed in US Plane Crash After Pilot Reported Ice Build-up

A light aircraft crashed in the US state of Wisconsin, killing all six people on board. One of the victims was a child.

The crash occurred in the city of Dellona, nearly 64.4 kilometres west of Madison, Wisconsin’s capital, at 9.31pm local time on Tuesday, 13 October, Anadolu Agency and ABC News reported on Thursday, 15 October 2026.

The cause of the light aircraft crash has not yet been established.

The Sauk County Sheriff’s Office said the crash killed five adults and one child. There were no survivors, but the victims’ identities have not yet been made public.

The Piper PA-46 was reportedly returning from Kenosha to Menomonie, both in Wisconsin, when the crash occurred.

“Based on the search, all six people on board were found dead at the scene,” the Sauk County Sheriff’s Office said.

No damage to buildings or injuries on the ground have been reported so far. Local authorities said the aircraft was found “in an area with dense tree cover”.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are assisting local authorities with the investigation.

The Sauk County Sheriff’s Office said the investigation was focused on “determining the circumstances surrounding the crash”. The office also reported that the aircraft had “made contact with an air traffic control tower near the location”.

Investigators are also looking into whether weather conditions in the area may have contributed to the crash, the sheriff’s office said.

According to preliminary information from the NTSB, the aircraft was “flying at 24,000 feet when the pilot reported ice build-up and requested clearance to descend”.

“Air traffic control approved the request to descend, after which the aircraft turned right while continuing to descend. The rate of descent continued to increase until communications and tracking data were lost,” the NTSB said.