Alaska News

Wisconsin sheriff: Friends were flying plane to Alaska when it crashed

OWEN, Wis. -- Wisconsin authorities say two friends were flying a recently purchased airplane to Alaska when it crashed, killing the pilot's father.

Clark County Sheriff Greg Herrick released the names of the three people involved in Monday's crash in central Wisconsin.

The pilot, 27-year-old Mark Siegwart of Hammond, Indiana, and his friend, 41-year-old Nathan Smoot from North Pole, Alaska, were flying the plane to Alaska after leaving Hammond. Along the way they stopped and picked up Siegwart's father, 56-year-old Martin Siegwart of Boon, Michigan.

The pilot said the single-engine Cessna 182 started to ice up and lose altitude. The plane was trying to make an emergency landing on a road when it crashed.

Martin Siegwart died at the scene. His son remains in stable condition, and the other passenger has been released.

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