LOWELL, Mich. (WOOD) — The National Transportation Safety Board has ruled that wildfire smoke from Canada likely caused a deadly plane crash that killed a woman from Kent County.
The NTSB filed its final report for the June 2023 crash earlier this month. Beverly Anderson, 65, of Lowell, was killed in the crash. The pilot, Randy Seaman, 70, of Lowell, was airlifted to a hospital after being rescued by a U.S. Coast Guard crew.
The crash happened at approximately 8:45 p.m. on June 23, 2023, near Beaver Island on Lake Michigan. The pilot was reportedly maneuvering the plane to see a lighthouse on the island.
“Satellite imagery for the accident site indicated cloud cover and lower visibility over most of the lake due to wildfire smoke. The first responders reported that about 15 minutes after the accident there was a lack of contrast on the horizon with smoke, haze and calm seas, with no discernable horizon visible,” the NTSB report said…