Poplar Grove, Illinois – An 83-year-old Rockford pilot has been identified following a fatal small plane crash in Poplar Grove.
According to Boone County Coroner Rebecca A. Wigget, the pilot killed in the Feb. 14 crash was Richard C. McClung, 83, of Rockford. An autopsy was performed Monday, Feb. 17, and preliminary findings indicate he died from injuries sustained in the crash.
The crash occurred Saturday, Feb. 14, in Poplar Grove, located in Boone County near the Illinois-Wisconsin border. Officials did not release additional details about the aircraft or circumstances surrounding the crash.
The death remains under investigation by the Boone County Coroner’s Office, the Boone County Sheriff’s Department and the National Transportation Safety Board. Authorities said no further information is available at this time.
Federal aviation investigations often take months as officials review wreckage, flight records and weather conditions.
The identification may be particularly significant for Rockford-area residents and local aviation communities.
This article will be updated if additional details are released.
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