By JOHN AXTELL
KCSR, Chadrad Communications 

CHADRON – There’s still no official word on the crash yesterday afternoon of a small plane just north of the Chadron airport that reportedly killed at least 3 individuals

The Chadron dispatch center received the call at 2:28 with the crash later described as occurring north of the runway just off airport property.

Complicating the situation less than a half-hour later was an unrelated train derailment about a half-mile north of the crash site and a mile-and-a-half west of Highway 385 and Dakota Junction that ignited a small fire.

Chadron fire chief Jack Rhembrandt says the derailment involved 2 Nebraska Northwestern Railroad locomotives while the fire was limited to about an acre by crews from his department and the U-S Forest Service.

Fire crews had finished up around 5:00, but personnel from multiple agencies including the Dawes County Sheriff’s Office and the Nebraska State Patrol were still at the crash site after that.

Nearby resident Alyssa Rasmussen told the Chadron Record newspaper that she heard the plane coming over the house, then heard its engine sputter, but didn’t see anything.

The last fatal plane crash in Dawes County was 4 years ago on October 7, 2015, when 61-year old John Prickett of Double Oak, Texas, went down about 7 miles southwest of Chadron shortly after taking off from the Chadron Airport.

Chadron Rural firefighters were called out again last night about 7:45 for a tree struck by lightning roughly 3 miles south of town.

Chief Rhembrandt says firefighters had to hike in about a half-mile from Highway 385 to reach the site, but were able to limit the fire to the one tree.