Plane crashes, explodes in Watertown
Couple hurt
WATERTOWN -- A light plane landing at the Watertown Municipal Airport crashed Saturday, setting off an explosion as it came down at the end of a hangar while other aviation enthusiasts ducked for cover.
Witnesses said the plane was making its approach and as it touched down it went out of control, finally soaring up and then crashing back down.
"We believe it actually went off the runway in the grass and then aborted the landing," airport manager Jeff Baum said. "In other words (the pilot) added power and tried to take off, and shortly after getting airborne either lost control or the airplane may have stalled, which is a loss of lift on the wings, and then crashed."
Authorities said the pilot and his wife were taken to a local hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries and then flown to University Hospital in Madison. Their names weren't released.
Watertown Mayor Ron Krueger, who lives near the airport, said the two were flying in to meet other aviation enthusiasts for a cookout before flying Sunday to Oshkosh for the Experimental Aircraft Association's AirVenture fly-in and convention that opens Monday.
"I'm just thankful they made it out alive and it looks like a good prognosis," said Krueger.
An airport employee helped pull the two from the plane, he said.
