One Passenger Dead, Pilot Critically Injured in Plane Crash

A plane crash at the occurred around 8:30 a.m. on Saturday morning killing a female passenger, 56 from Costa Rica, and critically injuring a male pilot, 79, from Brighton, according to Chief Michael O’Brian of the Brighton Area Fire Department. 

Once crews arrived on scene, it took some time to pinpoint the area at the end of the runway where the single engine plane went down, according to O’Brian.

“It’s a very swampy area so we actually accessed it off of Tobia (Rd.),” O’Brian said.

Crews ended up having to cut down trees and wade through the water before reaching the plane where they found the pilot in critical condition.

“They extricated him and got him back to shore via one of our boats and he was flown by survival flight to the University of Michigan,” he said. 

The female passenger died on scene, according to O’Brian.

No names have been released pending notification of the families.