Wisconsin Congressman Tom Tiffany Survives Emergency Plane Landing

A Wisconsin congressman survived a near‑fatal incident when a small aircraft he was piloting crashed into a lake near the town of Wausau on Tuesday. The 40‑passenger flight, operated by a single‑engine Cessna, went down in the middle of the water after the pilot reported a mechanical problem. The aircraft began to sink, but the pilot and Congressman Tom Tiffany, who was aboard as a passenger, managed to exit the cockpit and swim to the lake’s shallow edge before the plane fully submerged.

Emergency responders were alerted when the pilot and Tiffany called 911 from the aircraft’s cockpit, which remained afloat for a brief period. Rescue teams arrived within minutes and pulled the congressman and the pilot to safety. Both men were treated for minor injuries and are expected to recover fully. The National Transportation Safety Board has opened an investigation into the cause of the aircraft’s failure.