Former Indiana Air National Guardsmen killed in Seneca Co. plane crash

LOUDON TWP., Ohio (WTVG) - Two people were killed in a plane crash just outside of Fostoria, according to officials at the scene.

It happened in Seneca County late Tuesday night in a wooded area near Crestview Drive and SR-18 in Loudon Township.

Law enforcement said the two pilots, Shane Alan Halbrook, 59, of Avon, Indiana and Michael D. Wright, 51, were flying a Piper Saratoga from Illinois to Findlay.

Both men were at one time members of the Indiana Air National Guard.

“It was brief and it came on suddenly and it was a loud close small jet engine,” said Diane Gillig who called 911 when the crash happened.

Gillig said she heard the plane go over her Loudon Township home, only a few hundred yards from the crash scene.

“I could have reached out and grabbed it. It was that loud,” said Gillig. “The engine stopped followed by two loud clunk, clunks and I knew. I knew.”

Flight data shows the plane left Effingham Illinois just before 9pm eastern time and the final destination was supposed to be Findlay. According to data from Flight Aware, the plane went right past the airport in Findlay and ended up in Fostoria very close to a neighborhood.

The NTSB and FAA will now work to determine what happened.

The pilot did appear ready to land in Findlay but something appears to have happened because minutes later air traffic control noticed the plane losing altitude.

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