U.S. Bancorp executive believed to be aboard plane that crashed into Brooklyn Park home

A U.S. Bancorp executive is believed to have died when a plane he was flying crashed into the roof of a Brooklyn Park home Saturday.

According to the company, Terry Dolan, U.S. Bancorp’s vice chair and chief administration officer, was thought to have been the only person on board the single-engine airplane. Local law enforcement and aviation investigators have yet to confirm the pilot’s identity.

“We are aware that the plane that crashed in Brooklyn Park on Saturday afternoon was registered to Terry Dolan, our vice chair and chief administration officer,” according to a U.S. Bancorp statement. “At this time, the medical examiner’s office has not been able to confirm whether he was on board, but we believe he was.”

The plane was registered to DGW Enterprises of Edina. According to records from the Minnesota Secretary of State’s Office, Terrance Dolan is listed as DGW Enterprises’ manager.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with him, his family and friends, and anyone who may have been affected by yesterday’s tragic incident,” U.S. Bancorp said. “We are grateful that there were not any injuries to residents of the home that was impacted by the crash, and we thank all the first responders who have provided service.”

The aircraft slammed into a house around 12:20 p.m. Saturday near the intersection of Kyle Avenue N., Noble Parkway and N. West River Road near the Mississippi River.

At a Sunday news conference, Brooklyn Park Fire Chief Shawn Conway said the plane was traveling northwest when it hit the roof of the house before setting the home ablaze and displacing two residents.

Everyone on the ground was unharmed at the time of the crash, Conway added, including a man inside the home who told the Minnesota Star Tribune that he fled without shoes as smoke filled the rooms.

Electricity was re-established to homes in the neighborhood around 1 a.m. Sunday morning. Crews began recovering the airplane Sunday afternoon after spending the day documenting the accident site.

According to the Federal Aviation Agency and flight records, the Socata TBM 700 left Des Moines International Airport at 11:12 a.m. on its 280-mile flight to Blaine. It was scheduled to land between 12:11 p.m. and 12:28 p.m.

“Terry has been an avid pilot for decades, and we are aware he was flying home from Naples, Fla., when the accident occurred,” U.S. Bancorp CEO Andrew Cecere, said in a weekend email to employees. “We have been in touch with Terry’s family, and our first thoughts are with them as they wait for additional information.”

As chief administration officer (CAO), Dolan, 63, oversaw corporate strategy, marketing, social responsibility as well as growth and communications for the Minneapolis-based financial institution. Dolan had also previously served as vice chair, chief financial officer and vice chair of wealth management and investment services.

According to his company biography, Dolan was “a leader in the bank’s focus on driving growth and digital transformation.” Dolan was a public-facing executive for U.S. Bank who was often interviewed about the company’s goals and outlook. In 2023, the same year he became CAO, he confirmed U.S. Bank was doubling down on its office commitment to Minneapolis by signing another long-term lease as many wondered about the viability of downtown.

Dolan received his bachelor’s degree from the University of St. Thomas.

Dolan’s family didn’t respond to requests for comment Sunday.

The Medical Examiner’s Office will officially release the pilot’s identity following an investigation.

The National Transportation Safety Board just begun its investigation into the crash, said Timothy Sorensen, an NTSB senior aviation accident investigator.

“We don’t have a lot of answers right now,” he said.

Authorities will release a preliminary report in about two weeks containing facts about the incident but not its cause, Sorensen said. The factors that may have contributed to the crash include the weather, the pilot’s experience level and the condition of the plane, he added. The plane’s itinerary was still under investigation.

Sarah Ritter of the Minnesota Star Tribune contributed to this story.