Private plane crashes at Middleton Airport

A private plane with two people on board crashed after takeoff from the Middleton Airport Saturday, although neither person was injured, according to the Middleton Police Department.

The pilot, Robert Burow, 73, of Oklahoma City, Okla., told police the plane was a total loss.

Burow had landed at the airport to wait out severe weather in Oshkosh, where he was headed to attend the Experimental Aircraft Association’s annual AirVenture event, police said.

When the weather there cleared, Burow took off. But moments after becoming airborne, the engine faltered, causing the plane to lose altitude, he told police.

The plane bounced in a field and again on a road, then ran through a fence at the back of the Lexus of Madison dealership, 8000 Airport Road. Emergency personnel were called at 4:17 p.m.

Burow and his passenger were uninjured and out of the plane when emergency personnel arrived. Both had been wearing seat belts, police said.

The Federal Aviation Administration will investigate the cause of the crash.