Plane crash kills Former Kansas lawmaker in Marion County, USA

The plane went down in a pond on 170th Rd., about a half-mile west of Indigo, and two miles south of Hillsboro, around 1:45 p.m. Friday.

Troopers with the Kansas Highway Patrol said the plane was an ultralight aircraft. Investigators said the pilot ran into a tree branch, then fell to the ground near a pond and flipped upside down into the water.The pilot was unconscious when emergency crews arrived at the scene. He was taken to a nearby hospital where he later died from his injuries, troopers said.

The pilot has been identified as Donald Dahl, 69, of Hillsboro, according to the Kansas Highway Patrol. Dahl was a former Kansas state representative, who served the 70th district from 1996 until 2008. The Republican leader was speaker pro tem in 2007 and 2008.

Gov. Sam Brownback appointed Dahl to the Kansas Supreme Court Nominating Commission in December. 

Brownback said he was saddened to hear of Dahl’s passing.

“He had a proud legacy of public service,” Brownback said in a statement. “A veteran of the U.S. Navy, he served the people of Kansas as a representative for six terms. The Lt. Governor and I extend our personal sympathy to his family and friends.”

The Federal Aviation Administration has been called to help investigate the cause of the crash.