Authorities identify those killed in Platte River plane crash
LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – The Dodge County Sheriff’s Office has identified the three people who were killed in a plane crash on the Platte River on Friday.
In a press release on Saturday, authorities identified the victims as Daniel Williams, 43, of Moundridge, Kansas, 50-year-old Jeff Bittinger and 48-year-old Randy Amrein, both of Fremont.
Around 8:15 p.m. Friday, a small Cessna 180 aircraft was traveling along the Platte River when it crashed into the water just south of Fremont.
Emergency crews staged at Luther Hormel Memorial Park next to the river, according to a Channel 8 reporter at the scene.
Sgt. Brie Frank said airboats and drones were brought in to search the water.
She said this is the first time she has seen anything like this.
“The Platte River is a big source for us. I’ve only been here ten years. We have not had a plane crash in the river during my time,” she said.
Shortly before midnight, authorities said the bodies of all three people onboard had been pulled from the river.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board will take over investigation of the crash.
The NTSB said an investigator is on the scene, as of Saturday night.
They said once they have documented the crash, the aircraft will be taken to a secure facility for further investigation.
The Dodge County Sheriff’s Office thanking everyone for the help they received.
“We are so blessed by our community and the agencies that come out to assist us,” Sgt. Frank said. “The good relationships we have with other agencies, helps us to make sure that we have assistance when there’s things that happen. All of these agencies work together to help us to determine what happened, to figure out what the next steps are as we go throughout the night.”
This is a developing story. Check back with Channel 8 for updates.
