At approximately 7:30 p.m. on the evening of Nov. 21, Chadron dispatch received several calls reporting a “fireball” or “explosion” seen by witnesses outside of town.
The Chadron Volunteer Fire Department, Dawes County Sheriff’s Office and Search and Rescue personnel were then dispatched to a rural area near the Chadron Municipal Airport to address reports of a grass fire.
When first responders arrived on scene, it was determined that a small aircraft had gone down, causing a grass fire and killing the pilot as well as two passengers on board.
The fire was extinguished. The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) were contacted. The Dawes County Attorney/Coroner was then contacted and dispatched to the scene.
The identities of the victims of the crash were released on Nov. 23 by the Dawes County Attorney. They included Matthew Bruner, 44, of Scottsbluff, Noah Brunner, 21, of Scottsbluff, and Sydnee Brester, 19, of Gering. The NTSB and the FAA and continuing the investigation into the cause of the crash.