Onboard fire before Fargo plane crash

Fargo  (CSi)  The North Dakota Highway Patrol has identified the pilot of a small plane that crashed on Thursday, December 1  ²⁰¹⁶ at approximately 4:30 pm,  south of Fargo in Cass County as 55 year old Hans Ahlness.  The crash location was approximately ½ mile east of I-29 MM 55, along the Wild Rice River.

1^st Responders located a single aircraft that had crashed into the trees along the Wild Rice River.  The aircraft had broken apart, but the fuselage was engulfed in flames in the tree line.

The preliminary investigation identified the pilot suffered an in-flight emergency shortly after taking off from Hector Field in Fargo and was possibly trying to make an emergency landing.  The location of the crash was east of I-29 in a plowed field that abuts the Wild Rice River.  The crash area encompasses an area to include the plowed field and the woodlands along the Wild Rice River.

The pilot, Hans Ahlness, 55 year old male, was killed in the crash.  Mr. Ahlness was the lone occupant of the aircraft.  The aircraft was a 1973 Cessna Model 340, tail number N123KK.

The crash is being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration.  The FAA has asked any witnesses or individuals with video to the crash to contact them at (701) 492-5800.  Any further questions about the crash investigations should be forwarded to the FAA.

Agencies that assisted with the crash response were:  NDHP, Cass County Sheriff’s Office, Fargo PD, Horace FD, Kindred Ambulance and FM Ambulance.

Statement from NDHP:

Fargo (CSi-NDHP)  On Thursday, December 1 , 2016 at approximately 4:30 pm, first responders were dispatched to an airplane crash south of Fargo in Cass County. The crash location was approximately ½ mile east of I-29 MM 55, along the Wild Rice River.

First Responders located a single aircraft that had crashed into the trees along the Wild Rice River. The aircraft had broken apart, but the fuselage was engulfed in flames in the tree line.

The preliminary investigation identified the pilot suffered an in-flight emergency shortly after taking off from Hector Field in Fargo and was possibly trying to make an emergency landing. The location of the crash was east of I-29 in a plowed field that abuts the Wild Rice River. The crash area encompasses an area to include the plowed field and the woodlands along the Wild Rice River.

The pilot, a 55 year old male, was killed in the crash. The pilot was the lone occupant of the aircraft. The aircraft was a 1973 Cessna Model 340.

The plane belonged to Weather Modification Inc., a private cloud seeding company.

The crash is being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA has asked any witnesses to the crash to contact them at (701) 492-5800 The NDHP will release the name of the deceased pilot during the afternoon of December 2, pending notification of next of kin.

FARGO (WDAY) –Authorities have confirmed the pilot of a plane that crash Thursday afternoon south of Fargo  was dead at the crash scene.

Authorities confirm  the plane was fully engulfed in flames.

Authorities say the plane had just taken off from Hector International Airport and was traveling south.

The plane in several pieces along the Wild Rice River.

The FAA is at the cras scene and will be looking through the rubble to find more answers.

Earlier…

A plane crash south of Fargo Thursday afternoon, Dec. 1, 2016 appears to have no survivors, according to radio transmissions between emergency workers responding to the scene.