Pilot killed, toddler injured in small plane crash in Hinckley, Illinois
A man was killed and a 3-year-old boy was injured when a small plane crashed into a farm field near an airport in DeKalb County, Illinois.
Hinckley Fire Protection District officials said the crash happened shortly after 2:30 p.m. just west of Hinckley Airfield in Hinckley, Illinois, about 50 miles west of Chicago.
DeKalb County Sheriff's officials said a single-engine 1946 Aeronca 7AC crashed into a farm field near the airport.
Two people from nearby Maple Park were on board – a 51-year-old man and a 3-year-old boy.
When firefighters arrived, DeKalb County Sheriff's deputies were performing CPR on the pilot, who was severely injured. Firefighters took over and pulled the pilot out of the wreckage, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The 3-year-old boy was taken to Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, and was later transferred to Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago, where the child's condition was stabilized.
The names of the two victims have not been released.
Sheriff's officials said the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board were investigating the cause of the crash. Officials with the FAA and NTSB did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
An NTSB spokesperson said an investigator was expected to arrive at the scene of the crash on Sunday to begin documenting the scene and examining the aircraft. The investigator will gather any available information on the plane's flight track data, air traffic control recordings, plane maintenance records, weather forecasts and actual weather conditions, the pilot's license and experience, witness statements, and more.
