Search Site   
Current News Stories
Great Lakes shipping season underway now
Knox County farm family is focused on premium lamb sales
Lilacs will be blooming soon and honeysuckles will flower
There are three phases of giving your cowdog a bath
Increased cow numbers help to boost February milk production
Alligator farming is helping fashion and conservation efforts
U.S. grain dust explosions in 2025 caused 10 injuries, 4 fatalities
Garver Farm Market wins zoning appeal to keep ag designation
Michigan home to top maker of transplanters for seedlings
House Ag’s Brown calls on Trump to intercede to assist farmers
Next Gen Conferences help FFA members define goals 
   
News Articles
Search News  
   
Crop-dusting pilot killed in Illinois crash
 
OAKDALE, Ill. (AP) – A pilot killed when a helicopter crashed in rural southern Illinois was crop-dusting at the time, authorities said.
Donald L. Pruett, 41, of Mount Vernon, was pronounced dead at the scene July 31 by Washington County Coroner Mark Styninger. Pruett was the sole occupant of the helicopter.
The wreckage was found in a cornfield under overhead power lines, the coroner said. It was unclear if the helicopter struck the power lines.
The cause of death appeared to be blunt force trauma pending an autopsy, Styninger said.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the helicopter was a Bell UH-1H “Huey.” The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash.
Oakdale is s southeast of St. Louis.
8/9/2023