HINCKLEY, IL – A weekend plane crash in a DeKalb County field has claimed the life of the pilot and sent a young passenger to the hospital.
The single-engine aircraft went down near Hinckley, a community in northern Illinois. The pilot was later identified as James Beyer of Maple Park. He was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. A three-year-old child, identified as Beyer’s, survived the impact and was transported to a local hospital for treatment.
According to authorities, the crash occurred on Saturday, June 7, 2025. The aircraft was discovered in a field located just west of the Hinckley Airfield. Officials reported that the child sustained non-life-threatening injuries. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is now leading the investigation to determine the cause of the fatal incident.
NTSB investigators will conduct a thorough examination of the aircraft, which includes reviewing its maintenance records, the pilot’s history, and the weather conditions at the time of the crash. A preliminary report is expected within the coming weeks, though a final report detailing the probable cause of the crash may take more than a year to be completed and released to the public. Local emergency crews responded to the scene and secured the area for the federal investigation. No further information has been released at this time.
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