A family of six – mother, father and four children – were killed when a small plane crashed in southeast Polk County Thursday. The plane was en route to Junction City, Kansas from the Bahamas when it went down.
The pilot, 45-year-old Ronald Bramlage, his wife, Rebecca Bramlage, 43, and their four children died when the plane crashed. Investigators said, three of the four children have been located and the search is on for the fourth child.
Polk County deputies said the aircraft had taken off from Treasure Cay Airport in the Abaco Islands, Bahamas and had stopped at St. Lucie County International Airport in Fort Pierce, to clear U.S. Customs.
While continuing on to to Junction City, over southeast Polk County, the aircraft began to break apart.
It is not clear what caused the single-turboprop, fixed wing aircraft to break apart, but investigators said, the 2006 Pilatus plane separated before it crashed leaving debris as far as two miles from the crash site.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Authority are conducting investigations into the cause of the crash. Separate investigations are also being conducted by the aircraft manufacturer and the engine manufacturer.
Deputies are conducting death investigations.
