Low Visibility Preceded Fatal Waukesha Plane Crash

WAUKESHA COUNTY, WI—There were five miles of visibility when a plane crashed on Oct. 12 in Waukesha County, according to a preliminary report released Friday by the National Transportation Safety Board Aviation.

Randy Reimer, 74, and Susie Reimer, 70, of New Mexico, died after their Glastar plane crashed in the Village of Waukesha, the Waukesha County Sheriff's Office said.

The airplane was located in a wooded area south of Redwing Drive.

The plane was flying from Timmerman Airport in Milwaukee to Salina Regional Airport in Kansas, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

“The pilot had received clearance for a special visual flight rules departure with the restriction that he maintained an altitude at or below 2,300 feet mean sea level,” the preliminary report said.

Visual flight rules or VFR are aviation regulations for how a pilot may operate an aircraft.

The plane crashed into a tree after making a tight left turn and flew about 200 feet before crashing, the report said.

The plane’s wings came off and were found in the debris path near a ravine, the report said.

The main wreckage, which consisted of the fuselage and empennage, was found near a tree, the report said.

The propeller was found near the main wreckage. The engine was found 58 feet past the main wreckage, the report said.

On the morning of the crash, the visibility was recorded at 10 miles and an hour later was five miles, the report said.

The wreckage is being kept for further examination, the report said.