Couple hospitalized after plane crash at Capitol Drive airport

A Virginia couple and their infant son were injured after their plane crashed while taking off at Capitol Drive Airport in Brookfield during the noon hour Wednesday.

Brookfield police said the single-engine plane may have been caught in crosswinds while taking off, causing it to crash midway along the airport's only paved runway, on the east side of the airfield. Strong westerly winds of 18 knots, gusting to 23 knots, were recorded at the airport, which has no flight control tower, at the time of the crash.

The pilot, a 41-year-old Virginia man, and his 37-year-old wife were injured in the crash, City of Brookfield Police Capt. J. Philip Horter said in a release. The baby, who is approximately 6 months old, did not appear to have any obvious injuries but was taken to Children's Hospital by ambulance as a precaution, police said.

Flight for Life took the adults to Froedtert Hospital.

The mother was sitting in the plane's back seat with her son, who was restrained in a child seat.

The wings broke off the plane, which was in pieces Wednesday afternoon as investigators from the Brookfield crash reconstruction team worked to learn what happened. The plane struck a vehicle towing a trailer that was parked in the grass at the side of the runway at the airport, 21500 Gumina Road. No one was inside the vehicle.

The couple were visiting family in Waukesha County for the holidays and flew out of the airport to travel home to Virginia.

The crash is being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board and FAA.

Capitol Drive Airport will be closed for at least 24 hours, police said.