Naperville plane crash survivor: My husband is a hero
Wrenne Jakubiak says a federal investigation into the private plane crash Friday that killed her sister and injured both her and her husband has limited what she can share about what happened, but there is one thing she wants everyone to know.
"My husband, Ray Jakubiak, is a hero," she said Monday, her voice cracking. "The engine failed and he is a hero."
Investigators say Raymond Jakubiak, 70, of the 900 block of South Charles Avenue in Naperville, was flying his 1981 Beech A36 single-engine aircraft from Nashville to the Chicago area when it began experiencing engine problems.
The six-seater, that records show Jakubiak bought in 2013, caught fire after Jakubiak made an emergency landing in a wheat field near Chebanse, about 10 miles south of Kankakee.
Iroquois County sheriff's officials said Monday they are assisting in the investigation, but that their reports are not complete.
Wrenne Jakubiak's sister, Dorothy Stockard, 84, of Hermitage, Tennessee, died as a result of injuries suffered in the crash.
Wrenne Jakubiak, 70, was treated for burns and released from Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood the same day. She said Raymond was still in Loyola's burn unit as of Monday morning but he is "expected to be OK."
The investigation will be conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board and a report will be completed in about two weeks, according to agency spokesman Eric Weiss.