Tom Tiffany Survives 4-Seat Plane's Lake Wausau Landing After Power Loss

Q: How did a routine flight turn into a frantic fight for survival in the dark waters of Lake Wausau?

What began as a routine return flight became a survival emergency when the four-seat Bonanza lost power on approach to Wausau Downtown Airport late Saturday night, forcing the pilot to ditch the aircraft in Lake Wausau. According to Tom Tiffany’s account and local reporting, the plane had been coming back from the La Crosse County Lincoln Day Dinner when the engine failed near the airport. The pilot managed an emergency water landing, but the danger did not end there. Tiffany said he and the pilot called 911 immediately after touching down, only to find the aircraft quickly taking on water and starting to sink. With rescuers still en route, the two men had to get out of the plane before it submerged. They exited the cabin and swam through the dark water to a shallow area, where they waited for help. Emergency crews, including the Wausau Fire Department, reached them by boat and pulled them from the lake. Both Tiffany and the pilot were taken to Aspirus Wausau Hospital and treated for minor injuries. Authorities later marked the wreckage with a buoy and warned the public to stay clear of the area. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and Wisconsin State Patrol also responded. The cause of the power loss remains under investigation, with the FAA expected to handle the probe.

Q: Will the submerged wreckage in Lake Wausau reveal the true cause behind this terrifying mid-air engine failure?

Possibly, but not by itself. The submerged Bonanza is likely to provide the strongest physical evidence about why the aircraft lost power, yet investigators will still need to match any wreckage findings with maintenance records, fuel evidence, pilot statements and air-traffic data before determining a cause. In cases like this, investigators typically recover the aircraft, examine the engine, propeller, fuel system and controls, and look for signs of mechanical failure, fuel contamination, fuel starvation, icing, or impact damage that happened after the power loss rather than before it. Because the plane went into Lake Wausau and began sinking quickly, preserving and recovering those components will be important. The reporting so far indicates only that the four-seat plane lost power while approaching Wausau Downtown Airport and that the pilot made a successful emergency water landing. Local authorities marked the wreckage with a buoy and told the public to stay away, and the FAA is expected to lead the investigation. In many small-aircraft cases, a preliminary account comes quickly, but a final cause finding can take months. So the wreckage may well reveal the answer, especially if there is a clear engine or fuel-system problem visible on recovery. But until investigators retrieve and inspect the plane, the true cause of the mid-air power loss remains unknown.

Q: What hidden mechanical failure caused a reliable aircraft to plunge into a Wisconsin lake just miles from the runway?

It is not yet known. Public reporting only establishes that the Beechcraft Bonanza lost engine power while approaching Wausau Downtown Airport and was forced into Lake Wausau; no verified “hidden mechanical failure” has been identified. The available accounts from Tom Tiffany, local authorities and station reports are consistent on the basic facts: the four-seat Bonanza was nearing the airport after the La Crosse County Lincoln Day Dinner when it suffered a power loss or engine failure. The pilot executed an emergency water landing, and both occupants escaped with minor injuries before the aircraft sank. What caused that loss of power remains under investigation by federal aviation authorities. Early incident reporting points to the FAA handling the probe, and such investigations typically examine fuel supply, ignition, engine components, maintenance history, pilot reports, weather, and any wreckage recovered from the lake. Until investigators inspect the aircraft and issue preliminary findings, any claim about a specific concealed defect would be speculation. In other words, the reliable aircraft did not “plunge” because of a known confirmed flaw at this stage; it made an emergency landing after an as-yet-unexplained loss of power just short of the runway.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 13

Tom Tiffany and the pilot suffered minor injuries after their four-seat Bonanza lost power Saturday night and made an emergency water landing in Lake Wausau.
Approaching Wausau Downtown Airport after Tiffany's appearance at the La Crosse County Lincoln Day Dinner, the aircraft began filling with water and sinking before rescuers arrived.
911 was called after impact, and Tiffany said he and the pilot exited the plane, swam to a shallow area and waited for emergency responders to reach them by boat.
Aspirus Wausau Hospital treated both men, while Tiffany thanked the pilot, the Wausau Fire Department and other first responders for getting them safely off the water.
The cause of the power loss remains under investigation as Tiffany, Wisconsin's 7th District congressman, campaigns for governor.