Wisconsin Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany and a pilot escaped a sinking plane Saturday night after the aircraft lost power and made an emergency landing in Lake Wausau.
The plane began to submerge after hitting the water. Tiffany and the pilot got out, swam to shallow water and were rescued by emergency responders.
Both men suffered minor injuries and were taken to Aspirus Wausau Hospital. They were later released.
Tom Tiffany Plane Crash: What Happened?
| Key detail | What happened |
|---|---|
| Location | Lake Wausau, Wisconsin |
| Date | Saturday night, Sept. 12, 2026 |
| Aircraft | Single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza |
| People aboard | 2 |
| What went wrong | Plane lost power approaching Wausau Downtown Airport |
| Pilot | Leonard Boltz |
| Escape | Tiffany and Boltz swam to shallow water |
| Rescue | Wausau Fire Department airboat |
| Injuries | Minor |
| Investigation | FAA; NTSB involvement to be determined |
Tiffany was returning from the La Crosse County Lincoln Day Dinner when the aircraft lost power as it approached Wausau Downtown Airport.
The pilot then made an emergency water landing on Lake Wausau, according to Tiffany and authorities.
The Marathon County Sheriff’s Office said the emergency landing occurred just before 9 p.m. local time.
After the aircraft hit the lake, Tiffany and the pilot called 911. The plane began to sink, forcing them to leave the aircraft and swim toward shallow water.
Emergency responders reached them by boat shortly afterward. The sheriff’s office said a Wausau Fire Department airboat rescued the pair at about 9:05 p.m., roughly 15 minutes after the emergency call.
The Plane Was Still in the Lake
The aircraft did not come back out of the water during the initial response.
Authorities placed a no-wake buoy near the submerged plane and asked boaters to stay away from the area while crews worked on its removal.
The aircraft was a single-engine Beechcraft Bonanza. AP described it as a four-seat aircraft, while the BBC reported that the model can carry up to five people. Tiffany and the pilot were the only people aboard.
CNN also reported that dispatch audio obtained and verified by the network captured responders confirming that two people had been rescued.
An official told dispatch that both people were alert and conscious.
What Injuries Did Tom Tiffany Suffer?
Tiffany suffered a cut above his right eye that required stitches, according to his campaign.
The congressman and pilot Leonard Boltz were both treated for minor injuries at Aspirus Wausau Hospital and released.
Tiffany later thanked the pilot, the Wausau Fire Department and other first responders for getting them out of the water.
He also said his wife, Chris, was with him at the hospital.
“God was watching over us tonight,” Tiffany wrote in his account of the incident, adding that the experience reminded him “just how precious life is.”
Why Did Tom Tiffany’s Plane Lose Power?
The exact cause of the power loss was not immediately known.
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident.
The National Transportation Safety Board said it was waiting for the FAA to assess the aircraft and determine whether the damage was substantial enough for the NTSB to become involved.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and Wisconsin State Patrol also responded to the scene, according to CNN’s reporting.
The plane’s location in the lake also means investigators will need to examine the aircraft as part of determining what caused the emergency.
Who Is Tom Tiffany?
Tom Tiffany is a Republican member of the U.S. House representing Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District.
He is also the Republican nominee for governor of Wisconsin in the 2026 election and has been endorsed by President Donald Trump.
Tiffany won the Republican gubernatorial primary in August and is scheduled to face Democratic nominee David Crowley in the November 3 general election.
The plane incident therefore comes during an active statewide campaign.
Crowley responded after the crash, saying he was grateful that Tiffany and the pilot were not seriously hurt and praising the pilot’s actions during the emergency.
How Did Tiffany and the Pilot Survive?
The key moment came after the emergency landing.
The aircraft had successfully reached the lake rather than crashing into surrounding terrain, but it began taking on water and submerging.
Tiffany and Boltz exited the aircraft, moved through the water to a shallow area and waited for rescuers to reach them by boat.
The response took place within minutes of the 911 call, according to the Marathon County Sheriff’s Office.
The plane remained in Lake Wausau as authorities began arranging its removal and the investigation into the power failure.
What Happens Next?
The immediate rescue operation is over, but the aircraft investigation is still pending.
The FAA is expected to examine why the plane lost power while approaching Wausau Downtown Airport. The NTSB will decide whether it needs to take part after the FAA assesses the damage.
For Tiffany, the incident ended with minor injuries rather than a more serious outcome. He returned home from a campaign-related dinner by plane and ended the night in a hospital after swimming away from an aircraft that was sinking in the lake.
The investigation will determine what caused the aircraft to lose power and led to the emergency landing.
