The pilot who died in a plane crash near an Iowa airport was a third-party candidate for U.S. Senate.
According to a report by KCRG, Dr. Doug Butzier’s wife confirmed Tuesday, October 14, 2014 that he was the pilot in the plane crash near the Dubuque Regional Airport on Monday evening.
Butzier was a Libertarian candidate running for the U.S. Senate in Iowa.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the crash happened around 11 p.m. roughly one mile north of the airport. The single engine Piper PA-46 took off from an airport in Ankeny, Iowa about an hour earlier. Investigators say the plane crashed after missing its initial approach at the Dubuque Municipal Airport on the city's south side.
Officials at the Dubuque airport said they were unsure if weather played a part in the crash.
On Butzier’s campaign website, a notice was posted about his passing. It reads: “Dr. Doug Butzier passed away at the age of 59, Monday October 13, 2014. He will be sorely missed by family, his coworkers and friends. Thank you for your support.”
KCRG reported that Butzier also worked as an emergency room doctor at a medical center in Dubuque.
Butzier was reportedly the only person on the plane.
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board were on the scene and continuing the investigation.