Thief River Falls, Minnesota, law enforcement search the scene of a plane crash Saturday. Rawlins residents Moy Wing, Brian Duke and Zach Ostertag died in the crash.
Thief River Falls, Minnesota, law enforcement search the scene of a plane crash Saturday. Rawlins residents Moy Wing, Brian Duke and Zach Ostertag died in the crash.
MINNESOTA — Federal authorities continue to investigate the cause of a plane crash that claimed the lives of three Rawlins residents Saturday. The Minnesota Highway Patrol responded early Saturday morning to a plane crash near Thief River Falls, Minnesota.
According to a news release from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office on Saturday, the victims were identified as Moy Wing, 69, Brian Duke, 27, and Zach Ostertag, 26. Ostertag, an auto mechanic, was attending an Arctic Cat seminar on specialized vehicles in Thief River Falls when the event occurred.
The three men were pronounced dead at the scene.
NTSB confirmed the plane went down at Center Avenue Northeast and 130th Street Northeast, roughly 70 miles from the Canadian border. Following the crash, law enforcement blocked off 130th Street, which was near the wreck, so officers could investigate the scene.
National Transportation Safety Board Public Affairs Officer Keith Holloway confirmed Tuesday the wreckage was moved to a secure facility and still being investigated by the FAA and NTSB.
Holloway said the onsite investigation had fully been completed.
“It’s possible a report could be filed early next week,” Holloway said. “It usually takes a week for the lead investigator to release a report following the incident.”
FAA officials identified the plane as a small Cessna 182. FAA records show Wing earned his private pilot’s certification in 2009, but was not instrument-qualified, meaning he should only fly when skies are clear and visibility is high. According to weather reports for Saturday morning, the skies in the area were overcast with a 10-mile visibility range.
The NTSB could not confirm whether a flock of birds caused the plane to crash, and remains under investigation.
Let the news come to you
Get any of our free email newsletters — news headlines, sports, arts & entertainment, state legislature, CFD news, and more.
