3 bodies recovered from Platte River after private aircraft crash

A Cessna 180 Skywagon similar to the one shown in the photo crashed in the Platte River near Fremont, Nebraska, on Friday night, resulting in the deaths of all three passengers.

The bodies of the pilot and two passengers were found in the Platte River following a private plane crash on Friday evening. The Federal Aviation Administration reported that a privately owned single-engine Cessna 180 Skywagon aircraft crashed into the river near Fremont, Nebraska, at 8:45 p.m. MDT. Fremont is situated about 40 miles northwest of Omaha in eastern Nebraska.

An investigation is being conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board as to why the plane crashed, which killed Daniel Williams, 43, of Moundridge, Kansas, and Fremont residents Jeff Bittinger, 50, and Randy Amrein, 48. The Dodge County Sheriff’s Office shared this information in a press release on Facebook.

Following the crash, a response team from various local organizations, along with citizens equipped with airboats, arrived at the crash site to help with recovery efforts. An NTSB investigator started the investigation on Saturday afternoon after reaching the crash site, as reported by ABC News.

Authorities from the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office are urging people to avoid the crash site until further notice while the investigation is ongoing.