DEERFIELD, Ill. — The pilot of a single-engine airplane was killed in a crash flying into Chicago from Wisconsin. Few details were immediately available, including the name of the pilot. He was alone. The crash occurred about 9:45 p.m. in heavy fog. The plane struck the roof a townhouse, hit two gas meters, and ended up in a backyard. No one on the ground was hurt. The pilot was dead when first-responders arrived. The plane was bound for the Chicago Executive Airport five miles away in the northwest Chicago suburb of Wheeling. It was believed he plane had taken off from Madison, 140 miles away, or Necedah, 150 miles away .An air traffic controller at the Wheeling airport knew there was a problem:
“Altitude alert. Check the altitude immediately. Can you please climb? … 800 feet above the ground … 700 feet above the ground.”