Trilla, IL – April 20, 2025 — A devastating aviation accident in Trilla, Illinois, has claimed the lives of four people after a single-engine Cessna 180 aircraft collided with power lines and crashed onto a roadway, erupting into a fireball. Authorities confirmed that all occupants were pronounced dead at the scene.
The crash occurred around 10:15 a.m. Saturday, approximately 200 miles south of Chicago, and sent shockwaves through the rural community of Coles County. Video footage circulating online showed the aircraft’s wreckage engulfed in flames, scattered across a road and an adjacent field.
The Illinois State Police (ISP) identified the victims as two men and two women from Menomonie, Wisconsin, though their names have not yet been released pending family notifications.
“All four occupants were pronounced deceased at the scene. The aircraft remains in the roadway, and the road will be closed until further notice,” ISP stated in an official release. “This is an active and ongoing investigation.”
According to CBS News and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Cessna 180 crashed southeast of Coles County Memorial Airport after striking overhead power lines, triggering a fiery explosion on impact. The blaze continued to smolder for hours until emergency crews managed to secure the area.
The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have launched a joint investigation into the cause of the crash. NTSB officials are expected to arrive on site by Sunday to begin a full probe, including analysis of the aircraft’s flight path, maintenance records, and pilot qualifications.
At this time, authorities have not disclosed the plane’s origin or intended destination.
Nearby resident Kynnedi Goldstein described the terrifying moment of the crash:
“I was getting ready to turn on a show, and all of a sudden I hear this loud boom,” she told CBS News Chicago. “Our power went out for a second, and then our generator kicked in. I ran to the sunroom and saw a huge plume of smoke rising.”
The downed aircraft disrupted electrical service in the area and prompted a heavy response from local fire departments, state police, and emergency management teams.
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker issued a statement on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), calling the crash “a terrible tragedy,” and commending the swift actions of first responders who rushed to the site.
This latest crash in Illinois is part of a troubling trend of fatal air incidents across the United States in recent days:
- On Friday, three people were killed when a small aircraft crashed into a river in Nebraska.
- Earlier in the week, a helicopter crash over the Hudson River claimed six lives, including an 8-year-old girl and Siemens executive Agustin Escobar with his family.
- A separate crash last weekend killed a family of top doctors as they flew to the Catskills for a birthday and Passover celebration. The plane disintegrated in a muddy field near Copake, New York, just 10 miles from their destination.
Aviation authorities are facing increased scrutiny over safety protocols as investigations continue into each of these devastating incidents.
