Skydivers Aid Survivors After Beechcraft Debonair Crash
Four people survived after their 1961 Beechcraft 35-A33 Debonair crashed in a Wisconsin cornfield. Three skydivers, including trained EMTs, parachuted to the site to provide critical first aid before emergency services arrived.
A Beechcraft 35-A33 Debonair crashed in a cornfield near East Troy Municipal Airport on Sunday, September 27, 2026, with all four occupants surviving. The single-engine aircraft, registered N1288Z and built in 1961, disappeared behind a tree line after taking off from the airport around 1:30 p.m. Local time.
The aircraft came to rest upright with one wing detached in a field near Carvers School Road and Lawlor Road, just south of the airport. All four people aboard sustained non-life-threatening injuries. Three were transported to a hospital for evaluation, while one was treated and released at the scene. The aircraft is registered to a private individual in Wisconsin.
Skydiver Response
Recreational skydivers from Skydive Milwaukee, who were aboard a jump plane, witnessed the crash. The group included several trained emergency medical technicians and a former paramedic. The jump pilot, Jonah Johnston, reported the crash via an emergency call to air traffic control.
Audio captured the pilot asking if he could drop the EMT-trained skydivers near the wreckage. The controller left the decision to the pilot's discretion. The pilot confirmed he would drop them immediately. The skydivers then parachuted into the area.
They were the first to reach the crash site. Veteran skydiver John Bechtel, who has over 30 years of experience, was among them. He stated they could not have arrived later than 15 minutes after the crash without missing the opportunity to assist. The skydivers used a coordinated search, described by one as a 'Marco Polo game,' to locate the victims in the tall corn.
One skydiver, a former paramedic, treated a woman with a serious head injury until official emergency medical teams arrived. Skydive Milwaukee confirmed its members assisted in the response but noted the crashed aircraft was not associated with its operation.
Emergency Services Mobilized
Multiple agencies responded to the scene following alerts from the skydivers. East Troy Fire Rescue, the Walworth County Sheriff’s Department, and the Town and Village of East Troy police departments all deployed. The Walworth County Communications Center coordinated the overall response. A joint release from the responding agencies later credited Skydive Milwaukee with assisting.
The identities and specific conditions of the four occupants were not disclosed by authorities.
Investigation Opened
The National Transportation Safety Board has opened an inquiry into the cause of the crash. An NTSB investigator arrived at the site on Sunday afternoon. The Federal Aviation Administration is also involved in the investigation.
