Police say McKenna was flying in tandem with another plane. That pilot says the two were supposed to be landing when McKenna's plane went down.
Police say the two planes were flying for only a short time and the pilots were testing an antenna.
Federal authorities are investigating what may have caused McKenna to crash.
NILES TOWNSHIP, Mich. -- An Elkhart family is mourning after a plane crash left a 49-year-old man dead Saturday night.
The aircraft crashed around 4:30 p.m. in a wooded area south of Clark Street in Niles Township.
Police say the victim was flying an ultra light aircraft alongside a fellow pilot in a similar type plane. Investigators say the two pilots were testing out the antennae on the plane that crashed at the time.
The other pilot told police the two only planned to be in the air for a short time and were headed toward the airport when something went terribly wrong.
Search parties were called in to help emergency responders find the wreckage, but the pilot was pronounced dead once help finally arrived.
The FFA is still investigating the cause of the crash and whether it was mechanical or pilot error. So far police are not releasing the name of the victim.
Source: http://www.abc57.com
An Elkhart man is dead after an ultralight aircraft crashed north of downtown Niles.
The accident happened around 4:45 p.m. Saturday in a densely wooded area about 1.5 miles shy of the Jerry Tyler Memorial Airport.
Police say the 49-year-old victim was the only one inside the plane, but was flying alongside another ultralight aircraft, piloted by a longtime friend.
The two took off around 4 p.m. from the Niles airport.
"They were going to test a piece of equipment, an antenna on one of the aircraft," said Sgt. Steve Barker with the Michigan State Police. "So, it was just for a very short period of time they were in the air."
Police say the victim's friend landed his plane at the Niles airport and realized something appeared to be wrong.
He called police to alert them the other plane might have gone down.
Search parties in Southwest Michigan spent hours looking for the downed aircraft, setting up a perimeter along Clark St., just off M-51.
The FAA is taking over the investigation and hasn't released any details about what might have caused the crash.
"The other pilot was interviewed and was very helpful with the investigation," Barker said. "But, as far as what actually happened up in the air, he can only explain what they did in terms of preparing for takeoff and that nature."
It's unclear how long the investigation could take.
Police aren't releasing the name of the victim.
Story and Reaction/Comments: http://www.wndu.com
The crash scene of a downed aircraft near Niles, Michigan
(Photo courtesy Brandon Kusz; January 26, 2013).
Authorities investigate a downed aircraft near Niles, Michigan One person is dead after an ultralight aircraft crashed north of downtown Niles.
The accident happened around 4:45 p.m. Saturday in a densely wooded area about 1.5 miles shy of the Jerry Tyler Memorial Airport.
Michigan State Police say the unidentified pilot was killed in the crash. No one else was on board at the time.
Search parties in Southwest Michigan spent hours looking for the downed aircraft, setting up a perimeter along Clark St., just off M-51.
Authorities say a fellow pilot called in the incident, but there's no word yet on what caused the plane to go down.
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