According to family, an Omaha surgeon and two of his relatives were killed in a plane accident Saturday night in Victoria.Jo Mertes of Mantador (ND) confirmed Sunday by phone that Jacob Mertes was a passenger in the single-engine Mooney M20 aircraft that crashed.According to Jo Mertes, Jacob Mertes, 42 from Libby (MT), was in the aircraft with his wife Sara Mertes (Huddleston), 37 and stepfather Dr. James Edney who was the pilot.Although the Federal Aviation Administration has yet to identify the pilot or other victims of the crash, the Carver County Sheriff's Office stated that there were multiple victims and no survivors.In a statement, the City of Victoria stated that there were "confirmed deaths" but that none of the victims came from Rose Street. Rose Street was hit by the plane and set on fire. Although the family was at home at the time, no one was hurt or bystanders.The city released a statement saying that "this is a tragic incident that occurred near the heart of Victoria"Edney, a Nebraska general surgeon and professor of surgical at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, owns the plane. Sara Mertes' Facebook page reveals that she was a doctor at Cabinet Peaks Medical Center, Libby, while Jacob Mertes worked for Lincoln County Health Department as a planner and sanitarian.Robert Katz, a 40 year aviation expert and certified flight instructor from Dallas, tracks plane crashes across the country. He examined the Victoria crash and listened to audio communications between pilot and traffic control prior to the crash. Then he viewed footage of the aftermath.Katz stated in a telephone interview on Sunday that "it's an absolute miracle no one on ground was hurt by it." Listening to the audio of the pilot made it clear that he was in serious trouble.Continue the storyWitnesses quickly extinguished a fire started by debris from the plane that landed in yards nearby. The FAA stated that no one was hurt in the crash, which is still under investigation. Although the agency did not release any details, it shared the flight path of a plane that flew from Alexandria, Minn. to Flying Cloud Airport, Eden Prairie. It crashed there around 5:45 p.m. on Saturday, near County Road 11 and Hwy 5.Katz stated that Saturday's weather showed a 1,000-foot ceiling near Flying Cloud, which Katz believes means that the clouds were 1,000ft above the ground. Katz said that Katz believes that the pilot became disoriented as he was falling. He also added that Katz listened to the pilot's call into Flying Cloud's air traffic control center Saturday night, and watched the security camera footage that captured the fiery crash.According to the FAA plane registration details, the plane is owned by Edney and has no commercial purpose. Flight Aware shows that Edney didn't have an instrument flight rules flightplan on file. Katz stated that this means Edney must be aware of weather conditions at all times.Katz stated that the plane was unharmed and the wings which hold aviation fuel were ignited when it struck the hot engine parts.According to the Carver County Sheriff's Office, further information about the crash will be provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. In a statement, the FAA stated that the NTSB would be responsible for the investigation. They will also provide updates.Nearby residents and employees from the Holiday Gas Station were quick to rush to the rescue.Levi Pemberton was a gas station cashier. He said that he heard a loud "pop" then turned around to see a "huge explosion, and a large fire." He ran to the accident site, and found charred plane parts, including one that looked like a tail.He said, "The fire was large enough to burn the house."Amy Jensen lives two blocks from the crash site. She said that she heard a "thudthud" when the plane flew over her house. Then all became quiet and she knew there was something wrong. She saw pieces of the plane scattered across several yards.It was terrible, but "if there had been a plane accident, this was the best-case scenario," she stated. She also said that Victoria was "full of people" Saturday, and that bars and restaurants in the area were full.Floyd Nagler (71), was one of those people. He was out on Floyd's patio with two Vietnam War veterans to celebrate his wife’s birthday. They heard a revving engine, and they looked up to see the plane coming down. He said that the plane "augured into" the ground after the wing was folded back.He stated that he was certain there was no hope for pilot.He said, "You can recognize when things are ending." "Then, you can see what you can help."He took a hose from his pocket and spray water all over the house.Nagler stated, "It was quite the spectacle."This report was written by staff writers Tim Harlow, Anthony Lonetree.Kim Hyatt 612-673-4751
