Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s deputies investigate report of aircraft in distress

The Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office investigated what was potentially a plane crash overnight Wednesday, July 10, 2024.

Around 11 PM a distress signal was received from an aircraft in the area. Coordinates received placed the signal coming from a field located about 2/10ths of a mile southeast of the entrance of Hobbs Woods.

Multiple officers with the sheriff’s office, as well as a Wisconsin State Patrol trooper started to converge on the area. Without a certified drone operator on duty, officers had to investigate the old fashioned way by actually trekking out in the field by foot. Once they reached the coordinates, they found no sign of a downed aircraft.

Using information from the distress signal, officers were able to obtain a phone number for the pilot who stated they landed safely at the airport and must have inadvertently pushed the distress button.