LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The pilot of a small plane that crashed near Purdue University Airport last week has been identified as 20-year-old Alexander Foss from Maple Grove, Minnesota, a student at Purdue University. Foss, a junior majoring in aviation flight, was the sole occupant of the single-engine Piper PA-28 aircraft. The crash occurred around 8 p.m. on Thursday, April 11, but the wreckage was not discovered until the following afternoon. Investigators confirmed Foss’s identity using DNA processed by the Indiana State Police Laboratory Division. The coroner’s office determined that Foss died from multiple blunt force injuries associated with the crash.
Authorities, including the Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s Office, the National Transportation Safety Board, and the Federal Aviation Administration, are continuing to investigate the crash. “Our deepest sympathies and condolences go out to the family, friends, and the Purdue University community at this difficult time,” said Coroner Carrie Costello. Foss had rented the aircraft from Purdue Aviation, LLC, which is not affiliated with Purdue University.