Passenger Lost On Charity Fundraiser Flight

It started out as a fundraiser for the Chidren's Miracle Network. It ended in tragedy. A 39-year old Michigan woman was killed when the Stearman PT-13 in which she was a passenger went down in the Wisconsin River.

The pilot, Mark Strub, survived the accident.

"My knowledge of the situation is, a plane that was giving rides from the (balloon) rally clipped a power line below the Nepco Power House on Nepco Lake and crashed into the Wisconsin River," Sgt. Tim Ward of the Sheriff's Department told the Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune.

Strub was offering rides in his 1941 Stearman (file photo of type, above) at the fourth annual Children's Miracle Network Balloon Rally and Music Festival Saturday. Each ride was supposed to last ten minutes. Shortly after 0900 local, Strub took off with the Michigan woman. When he didn't return within a half-hour, festival officials called for help.

Local officials said the Stearman apparently hit some power lines near the river, then plunged into about three feet of water, coming to rest upside down. Strub was able to free himself, according to authorities, but couldn't get his passenger out of the wreckage. The Daily Tribune reports he ran a half-mile to a paper mill and called for help.

It took more than eight hours for recovery teams to get the wreckage out of the water. It will be stored in Port Edwards (WI) until the FAA and NTSB arrive on the scene.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov