Pilot error caused plane crash involving Tom Tiffany, NTSB preliminary report finds

The National Transportation Safety Board preliminary report indicates pilot error contributed to the September crash involving Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Tom Tiffany. The report cites a loss of engine power caused by a delay in switching fuel tanks and failure to turn on the electric fuel boost pump during flight.

The pilot, identified by the Marathon County Sheriff's Office as 73-year-old Leonard Boltz of Pearson, was operating a Beech K35 aircraft. At the time of the incident, the left main fuel tank was empty while the right main tank and both auxiliary tanks were full, and the fuel selector was set to the right main tank with the boost pump switch off.

The aircraft had departed earlier that day with 70 gallons of fuel and was not refueled before the flight to Wausau, according to the NTSB. The plane struck water during an attempt to reach the runway at Wausau Downtown Airport, resulting in damage to the aircraft.

Emergency responders were dispatched after the crash, with the initial 911 call coming in at 8:49 p.m. on a Saturday. Tiffany and the pilot exited the submerged aircraft and swam to a shallow area as responders arrived by boat.

Tiffany and the pilot were hospitalized with minor injuries and later released. The incident prompted a response from the Wausau Fire Department, law enforcement, and hospital staff, with authorities later removing the plane from Lake Wausau.