A small plane crashed into the Nebraska River Friday night, killing three people and their bodies were recovered, local officials said.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed to Newsweek on Saturday morning that the plane was a Cessna 180.
“NTSB investigators are expected to arrive at the scene this afternoon,” an NTSB spokesperson told Newsweek.
Why is it important?
The crash on Friday came days after a small twin engine plane killed all six onboard in New York's Hudson Valley. It also followed two other fatal aviation accidents about a week ago, followed by a small plane crash in South Florida and a helicopter crash in the Hudson River in New York City.
Recent tragedy has attracted new attention on the safety of air travel, as large flights made headlines, including American Airlines' regional jets that collided with a Sikorsky UH-60 helicopter near Washington, DC's Ronald Reagan National Airport in late January. Sixty-seven people were killed in the collision.
The NTSB has reported 295 aviation accidents so far this year. According to the latest data from the agency, 34 accidents were recorded in April.
However, experts argue that flight is still safe.
What do you know
At about 8:12pm local time on Friday, the Dodge County dispatch center received a call about a crash of a small plane on the Platte River south of Fremont, Sergeant Brie Frank said at a press conference that evening. The caller reported seeing the “plane off,” she said.
Dodge County Councilman, Fremont Police Department, Fremont Fire Department and several other agencies later arrived at the scene. The airship was in search of water, and drones were also used to search the area, Sgt. said.
In an update about two hours later, the Dodge County Sheriff's Office reported that “three residents of the plane have been recovered and the deceased has been confirmed to be deceased.”
On Saturday afternoon, CBS News reported that the sheriff's office confirmed the victims as 43-year-old Daniel Williams of Moundridge, Kansas, Jeff Bittinger, 50, and 48-year-old Randy Amrain of Fremont, Nebraska.
The Cessna 180 is a high-wing fixed gear aircraft. The FAA and NTSB take over the investigation, and the NTSB leads it.
Through Nikos Frazier/Omaha World-Herald
What people are saying
A spokesman for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) told Newsweek on Saturday:
They added that investigators will gather information on flight tracking data, air traffic control communications, maintenance records, weather conditions, pilot background, witness statements and surveillance video.
“In the scene-level stages of the investigation process, the NTSB does not determine or speculate on the cause of the accident,” the spokesman said.
What happens next?
The cause of the crash is not yet known, but a preliminary NTSB report on the crash will be available within 30 days.
The final report is expected within 12 to 24 months.
The FAA will post a preliminary case report, “usually the next business day,” a FAA spokesman told Newsweek.
Updated 4/19/25, 4:31 PM ET ET: This article has been updated with the victim's name.
