Pilot killed in plane crash North of Council Bluffs

The pilot of a single-engine plane was killed when his aircraft crashed in the median of Interstate 29 north of Council Bluffs on December 10.

Pottawattamie County Sheriff Jeff Danker said, ""Right now we have one deceased."

The Sheriff said the pilot left Eppley Airfield around noon. Moments later he radioed back saying he was experiencing problems with the plane. He requested permission to return to the airport. According to witness reports the plane then clipped a power line and crashed.

The plane went down near mile marker 58 east of Eppley Airfield and north of downtown Council Bluffs.

Darrell Wade was traveling along I-29 just before the plane went down. He told us, "I looked at the other two guys in the truck with me and said, 'Oh crap, he's gonna crash."

Wade said, "We were heading south on Interstate 29. Plane was flying on the other side, following the railroad tracks. Cut a hard right. Landing gear dropped. Clipped one of the power lines. Cartwheeled and landed face-first in the dirt."

Wade said, "When his landing gear came down I knew that he was having some kind of mechanical issue, obviously." He said he saw no fire but the wreckage was surrounded by fuel.

He told us he checked the pilot - the lone person on board and said, "No response. No pulse."

Traffic was interrupted after the crash but was moving again by 1 p.m.