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A tragic plane crash occurred on Friday (April 18) when a single-engine Cessna 180 crashed into the Platte River near Fremont, Nebraska, killing all three people onboard. The crash happened at approximately 8:15 p.m. local time, according to the Dodge County Sheriff's Office.
Emergency crews responded swiftly to the scene, and the bodies of the three victims were recovered from the river. The identities of the victims have not yet been released, pending notification of their families. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are both investigating the crash.
Sgt. Brie Frank of the Dodge County Sheriff's Office stated that their dispatch center received a report from an individual who witnessed the plane going down by the river. The cause of the crash is currently unknown, though there were reports of severe hailstorms in the Fremont area in the 24 hours preceding the incident.
Authorities are examining whether the weather conditions may have played a role in the crash. The investigation is ongoing, with an NTSB investigator arriving on Saturday to document the scene and examine the aircraft.
Fremont, located about 37 miles west of Omaha, has been the site of previous aviation incidents. This latest crash adds to a series of aviation tragedies that have occurred in the United States this year.