Crime & Safety
2 Elwood Firefighters Killed In Plane Collision At Marion Airport
Two Pipe Creek Township volunteer firefighters are dead after two planes collided at this airport: Report
MARION, Ind. – Two volunteer firefighters from Pipe Creek Township Fire Department in Madison County were killed when two planes collided at the Marion Municipal Airport late Monday afternoon, WXIN says the Grant County coroner reports. WXIN says Kyle M Hibst and David Wittkamper, both 31 (pictured), were the two people on board a smaller jet who were killed. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the two planes involved were a small private plane (single-engine Cessna 150) and a larger jet (Cessna 525 Citation Jet), and say they believe the Cessna 150 was trying to take off about 5:09 p.m. when it hit the tail of the just-landed Citation Jet, WXIN reports.
The Madison County volunteer firefighters were both married.
The news report says Hibst's wife, Kim, is also a member of the fire department and Hibst was also a father of a young boy. Wittkamper leaves behind a wife named Autumn.
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A friend of Hibst has set up a gofundme page for the firefighter's young family, and remembers Hibst as a great person who was following his dream of flying.
WXIN reports the Citation jet had five people aboard, but there’s still no word if any others were injured in the crash.
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The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is handling the investigation and autopsies are planned for Tuesday.
>> More information including fire department statements via WXIN
Death of 2 Firefighters from Pipe Creek Township Fire Department in Madison County, IN https://t.co/uoXXeSTnzC pic.twitter.com/cWGOZ0TbAV
— Madison County EMA (@MadisonCoEMA) April 3, 2018
Keeping Pipe Creek Fire Department families in our thoughts and prayers. #brotherhood #family https://t.co/dOWJgSxcD2
— Fishers Fire Dept. (@FishersFireDept) April 3, 2018
2 planes collided at a small Indiana airport Monday, killing 2 firefighters. Officials identified the victims as Kyle M. Hibst & David Wittkamper, both 31-years-old from Elwood. They had served as volunteer firefighters at the Pipe Creek Fire Department out of Madison County. pic.twitter.com/gOfE3PDYmF
— Insight Reader (@Insightreaderr) April 3, 2018
Original Patch report
Two people are dead after two planes collided at the Marion Municipal Airport, WXIN reports. The news report says according to the Grant County coroner, the crash took place late Monday afternoon near 5904 S. Western Ave. and involved a small private plane and a larger jet. WXIN reports the coroner said the smaller private plane was damaged by fire and the bigger jet had its tail taken off.
Right now the cause of the crash and whether anyone else was injured aren't known at this time.
Patch will continue updating this story.
More: WXIN
Photo via Pipe Creek Township Fire Department Facebook
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