• The FBI executed search warrants on several homes in Minnesota and Chicago as part of a terrorism investigation of a group of anti-war protesters.
• The investigation continues in Elk Grove Village of an incident believed to be a double murder-suicide.
• Police caught a suspect in the act of raping a woman in her apartment near DePaul University and have charged with with home invasion and aggravated criminal sexual assault.

A family outing turned tragic yesterday for an area man and some visiting family. Four people, a Skokie man and three of his granddaughters, were killed yesterday afternoon when the small plane they were in crashed along I-75 after a trip to Mackinac Island in the Michigan UP. The plane struggled upon takeoff from St. Ignace, crossed the north bound lanes of I-75, and then struck the median where it crashed and flipped. Moshe Menora, 73, of Skokie was killed as were three grand-daughters visiting from Israel: Sarah Klein, 17, Rebecca Menora, 16, and Rachel Menora, 14. Nathanial Menora, a 13-year-old grandson, was thrown from the plane upon its crash and was taken to a hospital with severe burns. Menora was flying a Beech Baron 58 multi-engine fixed-wing plane built in 1987. more ›

The search to recover the bodies of victims from this weekend's horrific Polish plane crash, including Chicago-based artist Wojciech Seweryn, continues. Of the process of identifying the remains that have been recovered, Polish Health Minister Ewa Kopacz said, “It’s not an easy procedure. In many cases, it’s only possible to identify the dead with the help of genetic expertise.” Seweryn's daughter has sent a DNA sample to assist in identifying his remains. The sculptor was among 96 people, including Poland's President Lech Kaczynski and several senior military officials, that died in the plane crash. Seweryn, who was born in Poland but immigrated to the United States in 1976, was accompanying the Polish president and other senior officials to the 70th anniversary commemoration of the Katyn Massacre in Russia, in which the Soviet Secret Police murdered thousands of Polish officers, intellectuals, and priests. more ›

The death of Polish President Lech Kaczynski and 96 other passengers in a terrifying plane crash in Russia shocked the world, and it has also stunned the local Polish community. Among the plane crash victims was sculptor Wojciech Seweryn a celebrated Polish artist with strong ties to Chicago. Seweryn, who was born in Poland but immigrated to the United States in 1976, was accompanying the Polish president and other senior officials to the 70th anniversary commemoration of the Katyn Massacre in Russia, in which the Soviet Secret Police murdered thousands of Polish officers, intellectuals, and priests. more ›

The two Florida men killed this weekend when the twin-engine plane they were flying crashed in suburban Sugar Grove have been identified. Drago Strahija, 32, of Lake Worth, Florida, and Gary Bradford, 37, of Hollywood, Florida were identified by Kane County Sheriff's officials as the two victims. The FAA reports that the plane was flying from Aurora to Denver. The crash happened about 7 p.m. last night as "residents saw a ball of fire" according to the Tribune. The plane crashed by a home near Route 47 and Old Oaks Road. No one in the home was hurt and the house itself sustained only minor damage. more ›

Two men on board a small twin-engine plane died when their plane crashed in a Sugar Grove subdivision. The crash happened about 7 p.m. last night as "residents saw a ball of fire" according to the Tribune. The plane crashed by a home near Route 47 and Old Oaks Road. No one in the home was hurt and the house itself sustained only minor damage. The FAA reports that the plane was flying from Aurora to Denver. According to the NTSB, one of the men on board the plane was a certified pilot. more ›

Authorities have identified the pilot of the cargo jet that crashed earlier this week in a forest preserve near Wheeling as Steven Ellis, 38, of Pontiac, Michigan. The identity of the co-pilot is pending a fingerprint check. [Tribune] more ›

• Crews continued to work this afternoon to recover the bodies of the victims of yesterday's plane crash near Wheeling as well as the plane's black box.
• A state panel okay'd the sale of Thomson Correctional Center to the federal government to house terror suspects.
• The Chicago Police Department is considering scrapping its entrance exam.

Authorities continue to investigate yesterday's crash of a cargo jet in Wheeling that killed the pilot and the co-pilot, trying to gather as much evidence from the scene before tonight's winter storm rolls in. The jet, owned by Royal Air Charter of Waterford, Michigan, had departed from suburban Detroit and was on its approach to Chicago Executive Airport when it went down in a forest preserve almost two miles south of the airport (the plane's final destination was to be Atlanta). Authorities have not yet identified the two people who died in the crash; the bodies are in the Des Plaines River and the river's current prevented their recovery. While the NTSB continues its investigation, Robert Mark, a pilot who landed at the airport shortly after the crash, told the Tribune he believes the jet experienced a classic stall. more ›

Multiple media outlets are reporting that a cargo lear jet has crashed in a forest preserve near Wheeling. WLS ABC-7 reports the plane was on a normal approach pattern to Chicago Executive Airport when it went down. It's not known how many people were on board the plane or if there are any fatalities. more ›

• The White House responded today to the video footage of the brawl in which 16-year-old Derrion Albert was killed.
• The New York Times has announced plans for a local edition in Chicago.
• The investor who bought the city's large old main post office has missed a deadline, putting the deal in jeopardy.

It was 30 years today that American Airlines Flight 191, from O'Hare to Los Angeles, crashed shortly after take-off, killing all 271 people on board and two more on the ground and remains the deadliest single airliner crash in U.S. history. As the plane proceeded to take off, the number one engine on the left wing separated from the plane, flew over the wing, and crashed on the runway behind the plane. Yet the plane continued with its take off, eventually reaching a height of around 300 feet before banking to the left and then crashing, striking a hangar at the old Ravenswood Airport. more ›

A single-engine plane crashed at the Sandwich Airport in DeKalb County yesterday afternoon, killing two. According to the Chicago Tribune, Randy Hougham was taking friends for rides in his vintage 1946 Ercoupe 415-C. Two flights went well, but the third ended in disaster. The plane crashed and caught fire shortly before 2 p.m., killing Houghham, 53, and his passenger, recent Bradley University graduate Lauren Hamilton, 22. Hougham's brother-in-law, Bruce Burlingame, said, "He was a great guy, a good family man, a good dad. He was just a normal guy who did construction work and had a plane." more ›

The National Transportation Safety Board has released its preliminary findings in its investigation of a January plane crash in West Virginia that killed all six people on board, all from the Chicago area. The NTSB found that a flight plan hadn't been filed and that the pilot mostly ignored requests from air traffic control. The NTSB also noted that the flight was originally consist of five passengers, not six. more ›

Six Chicago area residents, including four members of the American Polish Aero Club of Chicago, died Friday when their small Piper PA-34 plane crashed near Kenova, West Virginia. According to other members of the club, the members who died in the crash were Kazimierz Adamski (Morton Grove), Wieslaw Dobrzanski (Niles), Irenevsz Michalowski (Des Plaines), and Stanislaw Matras (Chicago). Also on board were Monika Niemiec, a reporter for a local Polish radio station, and her father, Stanley Niemiec. The plane had left McHenry County and was headed for a stopover in Charlotte, North Carolina before heading to Clearwater, Florida when the crash happened Friday afternoon. A thousand people attended a memorial service yesterday at St. Constance Catholic Church and friends and family members gathered at the club to remember their loved ones. As of yesterday afternoon, officials in West Virginia had still not identified who was on board, but the names were released by the club. [Trib] more ›

The FAA is saying all 150+ people onboard the US Airways flight that crashed into the Hudson River are alive and okay. Head over to our sister site Gothamist for more coverage on the crash. more ›

The Wisconsin couple who died when their small single-engine plane crashed on New Year's Night at Joliet Regional Airport were killed by "blunt head and chest trauma" upon impact. The autopsy was performed on Saturday. Deborah Loiselle and Stuart Seffern died when Seffern's plane crashed on take-off from Joliet Regional. They had traveled from Orlando and stopped for fueling. The cause of the crash is still unknown. more ›

As NTSB investigators continue looking into the New Years Day crash that killed two at Joliet Regional Airport, a few more details are emerging. First, it appears as if the plane actually crashed on take-off. The plane landed as its passengers, Deborah Loiselle and Stuart Seffern, both of Madison, Wisconsin, hoped to refuel. Upon finding no one to help and no fuel at the site - given the holiday - the pair then attempted to take off, but the plane "took a hard left" causing the crash. It also seems that the pair had flown in from Orlando, Florida and not Buffalo, New York as several media outlets had initially reported. The plane originally landed about 6 p.m. Wednesday evening and attempted the take-off around 8:40 p.m. more ›

Based on personal effects and registration information, authorities believe the two people who died in last night's plane crash at Joliet Regional Airport were Stuart D. Seffern, 50, and his partner, Deborah A. Loiselle, 52, both of Madison, Wisconsin. Authorities had earlier identified Seffern as the owner of the aircraft. more ›

A small plane carrying two people - a man and a woman - crashed late yesterday evening in Joliet killing both on board. The crash happened at Joliet Regional Airport. According to FAA records, the Lancair 360 single-engine aircraft belonged to Stuart D. Seffern of Madison, Wisconsin. Neither victim has been identified, so it's unknown if Seffern was on the plane. Per the Trib, Joliet Regional is "an uncontrolled field" which means pilots land "at their own discretion." more ›

Remains found near the site of adventurer Steve Fossett's wrecked plane have been identified as Fossett. Fossett, a former Chicago trader, went missing in September 2007. more ›