Plane Crashes into Lake Michigan

A plane carrying six passengers went down Monday afternoon.

The jet crashed into Lake Michigan, just off the Milwaukee shores. Aside form the six passengers, two of which were crew members, there is also the cargo that was being carried. In this case, that cargo happened to be organs that were being transported to Detroit, Michigan, for transplant. It appears that there were also four University of Michigan Health System employees; possibly two doctors, one nurse, and another employee, on board, according to FOX 6 news in Milwaukee.

Tony Molinaro, spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), told Fox 6 News that the Cessna Citation had taken off from General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, at 4 p.m., and was headed for Willow Run airport near Detroit, Michigan, which is approximately a 42-minute flight.

"Within five minutes of its departure from the airport the pilot declared an emergency and requested a return to Mitchell but at that time the plane was no longer on our radar screens, so we've contacted the Coast Guard to begin a search and rescue mission," Molinaro said. Aircraft debris was found about six miles north east of Milwaukee, but as of this reporting, no passengers, surviving or otherwise, have yet to be found, according to Molinaro.

University of Michigan Health System spokeswoman Nicole Fawcett, says that the plane is owned by the University of Michigan Health System. Fawcett was unable to confirm the number of passengers, or whether any of them were University of Michigan employees or not. She did say that the plane is typically used to procure and transport human organs ready for transplant.

At around 4 p.m. (Central) light rain was falling at the airport with winds at 12 mph, gusting to 22 mph, according to J.J. Wood, meteorologist the National Weather Service. Milwaukee Fire Chief Doug Holton, who was sworn in Monday, said as many as a dozen divers were searching water that was 60 feet deep, and five to 10 divers were standing by, as reported by Fox 6 News, in Milwaukee.

As of 7:01 p.m., the operation was still being called a search and rescue mission, according a statement released by Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. There have been no passengers found, and rescue efforts are still commencing. It is worry-some that any survivors will be found, since every minute makes the possibility look bleaker and bleaker. Officials aren't sure as to how long into the night rescue teams and divers will keep searching, especially considering sunset time is around 8:26 p.m.

Sources:

Fox 6 in Milwaukee