Investigators have announced the likely cause of the Wisconsin plane crash that killed six people.
Flight data shows the Piper Malibu's airspeed nearly doubled, reaching 340 mph, as it descended at 4,000 feet per minute after the pilot reported wing icing.
A plane crash in Wisconsin killed 5 adults and a child
A small plane carrying five adults and a child crashed Tuesday night in a wooded area in Wisconsin, killing all on board. (Credit: WITI)
A small plane that crashed in Wisconsin, killing six people, including a child, was hurtling toward the ground at 4,000 feet per minute, according to newly released flight data and federal investigators.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said the pilot of the Piper PA-46 Malibu was flying at 24,000 feet on Tuesday night when he alerted air traffic control about ice buildup on the plane's wings and requested permission to land.
Air traffic controllers approved the request, but the plane entered a right descending turn that intensified before losing communications and flight tracking, according to investigators.
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First responders are seen at the scene of a small plane crash in Delona, Sauk County, Wisconsin, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. (FOX6 Milwaukee WITI)
"It has all the hallmarks of an icing-related loss of control," aviation safety expert Jeff Guzzetti, a former NTSB and FAA investigator, told the outlet.
Ice buildup is a serious threat to aircraft because even a thin layer can disrupt airflow over the wings, reducing lift and making the aircraft more difficult to control.
The six-passenger, single-engine plane was traveling from Kenosha to Menomonee when it crashed shortly before 10 p.m. in a wooded area of Sauk County near Mirror Lake State Park, about 10 miles west of Wisconsin Dells, officials said.
It was raining in Delona at the time of the crash.
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All six passengers were killed. No structures were damaged and no one on the ground was injured, officials said. The identities of the victims have not been made public.
The Piper Malibu model has previously faced federal scrutiny over accidents related to icy conditions.
Investigators are looking into the plane's last communications with the air traffic control tower before the crash, officials said. (FOX6 Milwaukee WITI)
The NTSB conducted a special safety investigation of seven icing-related accidents involving Piper Malibu and Mirage aircraft between 1989 and 1991, several of which involved relatively inexperienced pilots unfamiliar with complex aircraft in icing conditions.
The review made recommendations for changes to pilot training, aircraft checklists and operating instructions, as well as the addition of an indicator light for systems designed to prevent ice build-up in the pitot tubes, which help provide accurate airspeed readings.
The NTSB is leading the investigation into Tuesday's crash. Investigators have not determined an official cause.
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