UPDATE: Parts apparently fell off plane that crashed in Minnesota

August 10, 2021

VICTORIA, Minn. (AP) — Federal investigators say crucial pieces of a single-engine plane piloted by a Nebraska surgeon apparently fell off in flight before it crashed in Minnesota, killing him and two relatives.

The Mooney M20M crashed Saturday in Victoria, west of Minneapolis.

Relatives and employers identified the victims as pilot Dr. James Edney, of Omaha, Nebraska, and his stepson, Jacob, and Jacob’s wife, Dr. Sara Mertes, of Libby, Montana.

National Transportation Safety Board investigator Mike Folkerts told reporters that important parts from the tail section were found away from the rest of the wreckage, indicating they fell off in flight.