The Aporia · Wisconsin lawmaker recalls fear at being told plane was crashing into lake: ‘Like staring into abyss’

Wisconsin lawmaker recalls fear at being told plane was crashing into lake: ‘Like staring into abyss’

Read the original at New York Post ↗

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APA MLA Chicago

Blair, A. (2026, September 15). Wisconsin lawmaker recalls fear at being told plane was crashing into lake: ‘Like staring into abyss’. New York Post. https://nypost.com/2026/09/15/us-news/wisconsin-lawmaker-recalls-fear-at-being-told-plane-was-crashing-into-lake-like-staring-into-abyss/

Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.

Quick Summary

Wisconsin Republican Congressman Tom Tiffany recounted his near-fatal experience when his plane lost power and crash-landed in Lake Wausau on Saturday. He survived with only a cut requiring 12 stitches after the pilot managed to keep the aircraft upright as it hit the water, allowing them both to escape safely before it sank. The incident occurred while Tiffany was returning from an event and is currently under investigation for its cause.

Written by AI on 2026-09-16, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

Rep. Tom Tiffany, a Republican congressman from Wisconsin running for governor, had to swim to safety after his single-engine Bonanza aircraft lost power while approaching Wausau Downtown Airport late on Saturday night. The plane made an emergency landing in Lake Wausau, and both Tiffany and the pilot exited the sinking aircraft and swam to shallow water where they awaited rescue by boat. Emergency responders transported them to a nearby hospital, where they received treatment for minor injuries before being released.

The incident occurred as Tiffany was returning from the La Crosse County Lincoln Day Dinner in Wisconsin. The Federal Aviation Administration stated it would investigate the crash of a Beechcraft K35 with two people aboard. Tiffany expressed gratitude toward emergency responders and the pilot, noting that God had been looking after them during the ordeal.

Tiffany's Democratic opponent, David Crowley, responded by saying he was "grateful to God" that no one else was hurt in what could have been a tragic event if not for the heroism of the pilot.

Written for “Wisconsin Congressman Lake Landing” on 2026-11-01, grounded in this article and the 8 other(s) covering the same event.

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sentences that state something as happening or true

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1 of 15 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")

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not political

takes no side on a contested political question

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66/100

New York Post's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.

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Who wrote this

Anthony Blair

85 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction

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Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.

All 85 articles by Anthony Blair →

Claims (15 extracted, 1 hedged)

Wisconsin Rep. Tom Tiffany recalled the terrifying moment he was told the plane he was in was about to crash into a lake — saying it was only “by the grace of God” he and his pilot survived. asserted

he → recall → God

The Republican lawmaker, a gubernatorial hopeful, escaped with just a gash to his head after the four-seat Beechcraft Bonanza he was in suddenly lost power and made an emergency landing in Lake Wausau on Saturday. “As we were making that final turn before we were going to approach for landing, the pilot turned to me and said, ‘Tom, we are going down, pull your seatbelt as tight as possible,” he told Fox News late Monday. asserted

he → escape → News

“It was like staring into the abyss. asserted

It → star → abyss

And you don’t know how far down it is,” he added. asserted

he → know → ?

“I pulled that seatbelt as tight as I could, and it was just a couple seconds later, we hit the water, and we hit it hard.” uncertain

we → pull → it

Rep. Tiffany appeared on TV sporting a cut above his eye that required 12 stitches, the only injury he suffered, thanks to the skilled efforts of the pilot to keep the aircraft upright and afloat as it hit the water. asserted

it → appear → water

“We looked at each other and said, ‘Are you okay?'” the congressman recalled. asserted

congressman → look → other

With the damaged plane beginning to sink, they quickly worked to force the door open and swim away from the aircraft toward the shore, where they were rescued by local law enforcement and first responders. “I can’t thank them enough for what they did, but it’s by the grace of God that we are here today,” Tiffany said. asserted

Tiffany → damage → God

He added that the entire incident “happened so quickly” that it was hard to piece together. asserted

it → add → ?

The pilot, who has not been publicly identified, required four stitches after the crash but was otherwise uninjured. asserted

who → identify → crash

The cause of the aircraft’s sudden loss of power remains under investigation. asserted

cause → remain → investigation

Tiffany had been returning from the La Crosse County Lincoln Day Dinner en route to Wausau Downtown Airport at the time of the crash. asserted

Tiffany → return → crash

He has represented Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District since 2020, when he won the seat previously held by Sean Duffy, President Donald Trump’s Transportation Secretary. asserted

he → represent → Duffy

Tiffany is going against Democrat David Crowley in November in the race to be Wisconsin’s Governor. asserted

Tiffany → go → race

A first head-to-head poll since Aug. 11’s primary showed Rep. Crowley leading Rep. Tiffany by 49 to 44 among likely voters, although the pair are tied 44-44 among registered voters. asserted

pair → show → voters

Wisconsin lawmaker recalls fear at being told plane was crashing into lake: ‘Like staring into abyss’

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Claims (15 extracted, 1 hedged)