Federal investigators are trying to determine what caused Thursday night's fiery crash of a small plane, which killed a Madison couple. The victims are 52-year-old Deborah Loiselle and 50-year-old Stuart Seffern of Madison. Seffern was vice-chairman of the South Madison Planning Council. He owned Madison Area Carpet Cleaning. He was also Dane County chairman of the Wisconsin Libertarian Party.
The crash occurred as the plane was landing just before 9 p.m., at Joliet Regional Airport, about 30 miles southwest of Chicago. Airport officials say the plane took off from Buffalo Niagara International Airport in New York state. A spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration says the plane was a Lancair, a type of aircraft typically purchased as kits and home built. Representatives from the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.