The South Bend man who was killed Sunday when his plane crashed near Rolling Prairie died of blunt force trauma, according to preliminary autopsy reports. LaPorte County Coroner John Sullivan tells our reporting partner at WNDU-TV that he is “very confident the gentleman passed when his aircraft hit the ground.” Benjamin Hubbard, 36, was flying from Niles, Mich. to Plymouth when he somehow veered off course and crashed. LaPorte County dispatchers received a 911 call from a man who was driving nearby when the plane crashed, but first responders were unable to locate any wreckage. They found the plane a few hours later in a field of corn 10 feet high when Hubbard’s friend, who was in another plane, retraced his flight path and spotted the wreckage from the air. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.
