What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On November 2, 2018, about 1136 central daylight time, a Cessna 210N airplane, N81KD, was destroyed after impacting terrain near Bradley, south dakota. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of part 91.
Day instrument meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight, which departed about 1115 without a flight plan from clark county airport (8D7), clark, south dakota, with a destination of sigurd anderson airport, (1D7), webster, south dakota. According to air traffic control data, the pilot departed sioux falls regional airport (fsd), sioux falls, south dakota, with a destination of his home airport at 1D7. Due to poor weather conditions at 1D7, the pilot diverted to 8D7 and landed there about 0940.
At 1108, during taxi out at 8D7, the pilot phoned a friend to ask about weather conditions closer to 1D7. After his friend stated that low overcast clouds existed at his location, the pilot departed 8D7 and flew toward 1D7, about 40 miles away.
A witness near the accident site, which was midway between 8D7 and 1D7, heard "an airplane that seemed to climb and descend twice, followed by a loud noise". The airplane impacted a farm area with a steep nose-down angle and a post-crash fire ensued.
As the FAA filed it
ON NOVEMBER 2, 2018, ABOUT 1136 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 210N AIRPLANE, N81KD, WAS DESTROYED AFTER IMPACTING TERRAIN NEAR BRADLEY, SOUTH DAKOTA. THE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF PART 91.
DAY INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT, WHICH DEPARTED ABOUT 1115 WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN FROM CLARK COUNTY AIRPORT (8D7), CLARK, SOUTH DAKOTA, WITH A DESTINATION OF SIGURD ANDERSON AIRPORT, (1D7), WEBSTER, SOUTH DAKOTA. ACCORDING TO AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL DATA, THE PILOT DEPARTED SIOUX FALLS REGIONAL AIRPORT (FSD), SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA, WITH A DESTINATION OF HIS HOME AIRPORT AT 1D7. DUE TO POOR WEATHER CONDITIONS AT 1D7, THE PILOT DIVERTED TO 8D7 AND LANDED THERE ABOUT 0940.
AT 1108, DURING TAXI OUT AT 8D7, THE PILOT PHONED A FRIEND TO ASK ABOUT WEATHER CONDITIONS CLOSER TO 1D7. AFTER HIS FRIEND STATED THAT LOW OVERCAST CLOUDS EXISTED AT HIS LOCATION, THE PILOT DEPARTED 8D7 AND FLEW TOWARD 1D7, ABOUT 40 MILES AWAY.
A WITNESS NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE, WHICH WAS MIDWAY BETWEEN 8D7 AND 1D7, HEARD "AN AIRPLANE THAT SEEMED TO CLIMB AND DESCEND TWICE, FOLLOWED BY A LOUD NOISE". THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED A FARM AREA WITH A STEEP NOSE-DOWN ANGLE AND A POST-CRASH FIRE ENSUED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.