HARTSVILLE, Ind. – A Michigan man died in a small plane crash in Bartholomew County Wednesday afternoon.
Deputies with the Bartholomew County Sheriff's Office said the plane went down near 20950 E. 200 N. just northeast of Columbus shortly before 1 p.m.
The pilot, Ren Sargaert, 77, of Shelby Township, Michigan, was killed in the crash.
The autopsy revealed blunt force trauma to the head, chest, abdomen and extremities.
Deputies believe Sargaert was attempting to take off when his 1940s Temco Swift plane crashed into the tree-line and went down. It is unclear where the pilot was headed.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are both investigating the crash.
