A small plane crashed in a field near a roadway in Trilla, an unincorporated community in south central Illinois, at approximately 10:15 a.m. local time on April 20, 2025. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that the single-engine aircraft was a Cessna 180. Tragically, all four people aboard perished in the crash.
The terrible crash took the life of four Menomonie, Wisconsin residents. They were named as Ross Nelson, 46, Raimi Rundle, 45, Courtney Morrow, 36, and Michael Morrow, 48. Emergency responders pronounced them dead at the scene soon after the crash. The aircraft remained on the roadway following the incident, prompting authorities to close the area until around 5:00 p.m. the same day.
Illinois State Police acknowledged the crash in their statement. They further explained that right now both the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are still investigating to determine what caused it.
“The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are still investigating the cause of the crash.” – Illinois State Police
This horrible incident continues the trend of preventable aviation accidents occurring this year. Just a few days ago, one of those small planes crashed into a body of water at an airport in Oregon. Five people were injured in the crash, including four pedestrians. Tragically, just a couple of weeks earlier, in late March, yet another small aircraft crashed into a suburban mansion in Minneapolis. In addition, just a day later on April 18, three people were killed when another Cessna 180 crashed into the Niobrara River in Nebraska.
The NTSB is also investigating a pair of deadly crashes earlier this year. One of these tragedies turned out to be a midair collision between an American Airlines passenger plane and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter over the Nation’s Capital that took the lives of 67. Separately, a medical jet crash in Philadelphia killed all seven aboard.
Despite these recent tragedies, data from the NTSB shows that general aviation accidents overall have declined from 2023 to 2024. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker recognized the seriousness of the situation, sending his condolences for the tragic loss.
“My administration is monitoring the situation as we keep those impacted by the plane crash in our thoughts today.” – Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker
A crash around the Coles County Memorial Airport in Mattoon recently set off alarm bells. This city of more than 16,000 residents, located roughly 80 miles southeast of Springfield, has begun to draw national interest from local leaders and aviation safety advocates alike. Ongoing FAA and NTSB investigations seek to determine what caused this heartbreaking accident.
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