LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Tippecanoe County coroner on Wednesday identified the person killed in a plane crash last week near West Lafayette as 20-year-old Purdue University student Alexander Foss.
The coroner said the identification was based on DNA statistical analysis, and the investigation into the April 11 crash is ongoing with the Tippecanoe County Sheriff's Department, National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration.
According to a previous release from the FAA, a single-engine Piper PA-28 crashed near the Purdue University Airport on Thursday, April 11. Tippecanoe County Sheriff Bob Goldsmith told 13News that around 3:30 p.m. on Friday, April 12, the department received a call about a possible plane crash near County Road 600 North and U.S. 231 in Shelby Township.
According to the Tippecanoe County sheriff, the initial investigation revealed the crash took place around 8 p.m. Thursday.
The coroner previously confirmed the man who died was the only person on the plane, saying he died from multiple blunt force injuries due to the crash.
A Purdue University spokesperson said Foss was a junior and was studying aviation flight through the Polytechnic Institute.
The NTSB is in charge of the investigation and will provide any additional updates.
Jeff Pittard, the president of Purdue Aviation, LLC – which is not affiliated with the university – confirmed to 13News that the small aircraft was from Purdue Aviation.