UPDATED: Victims identified in Wednesday’s fatal plane crash

UPDATED, Thursday 2 p.m.: The Muscatine County Sheriff’s Office has released the identity of the victims of Wednesday’s fatal plane crash north of Muscatine.

According to Sheriff Quinn Riess, the Muscatine Communications Center received a report from the Quad-City Air Traffic Control
at 2:43 p.m. of a possible downed aircraft west of Highway 38 on 170th Street in Muscatine County.

“Air traffic controllers had lost both radio and radar contact with the aircraft in that area,” Riess said.

Members of the Muscatine County Sheriff’s Office and Muscatine Police Department responded to the area, and located the 1972 Piper Cherokee in a grass/hay field approximately a quarter mile north of 170th Street.

After an extensive search of the area, law enforcement and fire department/EMS personnel located the only occupants in the wreckage, Daniel Slack, 68, and Sharon Slack, 69, both of El Dorado Springs, Missouri.

Their bodies were removed from the scene once the area was thoroughly documented.

Investigation and information received thus far indicates the couple departed Ford Airport near Iron Mountain, Michigan, and were traveling to Missouri, according to Reiss.

“It is unknown at this time what may have been the cause of the accident. Both the Federal Aviation Administration and National Traffic Safety Bureau are on the scene this morning conducting their investigations,” Reiss said.

Assisting with the incident included volunteer fire departments from Durant, Wilton, Atalissa and Fruitland, the Muscatine Police and Fire Departments, Muscatine Search and Rescue, Muscatine County Sheriff’s Office and Reserve Sheriff’s Patrol, Iowa State Patrol, the Muscatine County Salvation Army, and Mills Marine of Muscatine.

.