Nebraska surgeon, 2 family members killed in MN plane crash – Twin Cities

VICTORIA, Minnesota (AP) – A relative has identified three people killed in a fiery small plane crash in southeast Minnesota as a surgeon from Omaha, Nebraska, and two family members from Wyoming.

Jo Mertes, of Mantador, North Dakota, told the Star Tribune on Sunday that his nephew, Jacob Mertes, 42, and his wife, 37, Sara Mertes, of Libby, MT, died along with his 72-year-old nephew. . – the old father-in-law, Dr James Edney, who flew the plane. There were no survivors, officials said.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the plane was flying from Alexandria Municipal Airport to the Flying Cloud Airport in Eden Prairie before 6 p.m. Saturday when it crashed and caught fire in Victoria, a city of ‘about 7,300 about 25 miles (40 kilometers) southwest of Minneapolis.

“This is a tragic event that has occurred close to the heart of Victoria and our community will keep the victims of this incident and their loved ones in our thoughts and prayers during this time,” city officials said. in a press release.

Debris from the Mooney M20M landed in nearby yards and struck at least one house, starting a fire that passers-by quickly put out. No one in the house or on the grounds was injured, officials said.

The plane is owned by Edney, a general surgeon from Omaha and professor of surgery at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Sara Mertes’ Facebook page shows she was a physician at Peaks Medical Center in Libby, while Jacob Mertes worked as a sanitation worker and planner for the Lincoln County Health Department in Montana, the newspaper reported.

The Carver County Sheriff’s Office said more information about the crash would come from the National Transportation Safety Board, which is leading the investigation.

Levi Pemberton, a cashier at the gas station, said he heard a “pop” and turned around and saw a “huge explosion and a big fire”. He ran to the crash site and saw charred metal aircraft parts, including a large part that looked like an erect tail.

“The fire was big enough to burn down the house,” he said.

Amy Jensen, who lives two blocks south of the crash site, said she heard a “thud” as the plane passed over her house and then everything calmed down, so she knew something was wrong. Outside, she saw three pieces of the plane scattered over several meters.