FLYING Magazine
The pilot of a Beechcraft Bonanza K35 carrying U.S. Representative Tom Tiffany (R-Wis.) made an emergency water landing Saturday night after the aircraft lost power, according to remarks by Tiffany on Sunday.
In a post on X, Tiffany said he was returning from a dinner in Onalaska, Wisconsin, when the Bonanza “lost power,” without specifying whether it was a partial or full loss of power. He told reporters Sunday that the pilot, Leonard Boltz, attempted to restart the aircraft’s engine but was unsuccessful, according to Wisconsin Public Radio. The Bonanza K35 runs on a single piston-powered Continental engine.
Tiffany was the only passenger, and both he and the pilot escaped with only minor injuries after being rescued by a fire department airboat. He told reporters that the pair stood atop the aircraft for about 10 minutes as it submerged, then swam about 150 feet to a sandbar to await rescue.
“[Boltz] just said, ‘Hang on, Tom, and buckle up because we’re going to go down,’” Tiffany said.
The Wisconsin congressman estimated that the aircraft hit the water about 10 seconds after that warning.
After surveying the crash site Sunday, John Chmiel, Wausau Downtown Airport manager and owner of Wausau Flying Service—a full-service FBO that also provides flight training—told WPR that Boltz was “able to actually retract the landing gear” before hitting the water, which he described as a “very difficult maneuver to execute safely.” He added that Boltz “did every single thing right” after the issue occurred.
According to preliminary information shared by the Marathon County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page Sunday, Tiffany and Boltz landed on central Wisconsin’s Lake Wausau on Saturday evening after reporting a “mechanical issue” on approach to Wausau Downtown Airport (KAUW), where they were scheduled to land. The airport is adjacent to the lake.
The Marathon County Emergency 911 Communications Center received a report of a plane crash at 8:49 p.m. CDT, and units from several state and local agencies responded. Tiffany and Boltz were rescued at 9:05 p.m. and treated for their injuries at a local hospital.
Tiffany said on X on Sunday that he was released from the hospital and told reporters later that day that he received 12 stitches for an injury sustained when his head hit the aircraft’s dashboard. He added that Boltz sustained minor injuries.
“I want to express my deepest gratitude to the pilot, the Wausau Fire Department, and all of the first responders who came to our aid so quickly,” Tiffany said on X. “An experience like this reminds you just how precious life is.”
Milwaukee’s WITI-TV reported that crews planned to remove the submerged aircraft from the lake Monday. The Marathon County Sheriff’s Office on Sunday said it remained in the water, marked by a buoy to help boaters avoid it.
The sheriff’s office said the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the incident and that more updates will be shared on its Facebook page.