ANKENY, Iowa — Carbon monoxide poisoning was a factor in Saturday’s fatal plane crash in Guthrie County, according to details released Friday by the Iowa State Medical Examiner’s office.
The four victims — Edward Ralph Anderson, 49, of Le Mars, Patrick Kellen, 36, of Le Mars, Tyler Douvia, 28, of Merrill and Samantha Clark, 15, of Le Mars — died from “multiple blunt-force injuries in the setting of carbon monoxide toxicity,” according to the medical examiner.
Anderson was piloting the single-engine plane when it left Le Mars for Osceola about 4:15 p.m. Friday. The pilot reportedly suffered a heart attack about 5 p.m., and one of the passengers took over the controls of the aircraft and attempted an emergency landing.
The crash site was found early Saturday is a field southwest of the intersection of 265th Street and Maple Avenue.
The incident is under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board.
