Community Corner

Police Identify Plane Crash Victims

A plane crash at Brighton Airport Saturday morning killed a female passenger and left the pilot severely injured.

A 56-year-old woman was killed and a 79-year-old man was severely injured when shortly after taking-off near the Brighton Airport.

Police have identified the pilot as Walter Davenport of Brighton and the passenger as Ana Ortega, a citizen of Costa Rica. Ortega was deceased at the crash scene.

The plane, a Aeronca 7AC, single engine propeller driven, crashed into swampy wet lands, about a half mile from the airport.

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Police said a caller to Livingston County Central Dispatch said the plane engine sounded funny and then the plane crashed.

The Brighton Area Fire Department,Β  a Michigan State Police Trooper and a civilian citizen responded to the scene after breaking through the brush, wading and swimming to the crash site. Brighton Area Firefighters then utilized a rubber raft and a rope system to ferry additional supplies and personnel to the crash scene.

Find out what's happening in Brightonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The man was removed from the crash scene and transported to the University of Michigan Hospital by the University of Michigan Survival Flight helicopter.

Two investigators from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) were on scene conducting a preliminary investigation. Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will be responding to the scene for a more detailed investigation regarding the crash of the airplane.


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