What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On August 26, 2024, about 0841, central daylight time (CDT), a rans S-19 airplane, privacy data omitted was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Crofton, Nebraska. The pilot sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was operated as a title 14 code of federal regulations part 91 personal flight.
The airplane was found about 0930 in an agricultural field by local law enforcement. First responders stated that the weather at the accident site was fog with a visibility of about 50 ft. law enforcement vehicle dash camera footage at 0946 showed a cloud ceiling of about 260 ft above ground level (AGL) when compared to the height of the wind turbine. A meteorological evaluation tower (met) for the wind company about 0.6 nautical miles to the southwest recorded 100% humidity at 247 ft AGL starting at 0340 and continuing until 1140.
The accident site was in a gently rolling agricultural field about 13 nautical miles southwest of yankton, south dakota. Impact marks and debris were consistent with the airplane impacting the terrain in a left wing low, nose down attitude. The debris field was about 200FT in length on a heading of about 023 degrees. Additional cockpit related debris were found about 500 ft past the main wreckage.
The main wreckage consisted of the rear fuselage, empennage, and both wings. The forward fuselage with the engine attached were found in a vertical orientation in a shallow crater. Both wing fuel tanks were found separated from the wing structure with tank wall fractures consistent with liquid hydraulic deformation.
Inspection of the wind turbine by a wind company representative showed no evidence of airplane strike damage or witness marks to the tower or the turbine blades.
As the FAA filed it
ON AUGUST 26, 2024, ABOUT 0841, CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME (CDT), A RANS S-19 AIRPLANE, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT NEAR CROFTON, NEBRASKA. THE PILOT SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED AS A TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT.
THE AIRPLANE WAS FOUND ABOUT 0930 IN AN AGRICULTURAL FIELD BY LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT. FIRST RESPONDERS STATED THAT THE WEATHER AT THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS FOG WITH A VISIBILITY OF ABOUT 50 FT. LAW ENFORCEMENT VEHICLE DASH CAMERA FOOTAGE AT 0946 SHOWED A CLOUD CEILING OF ABOUT 260 FT ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL) WHEN COMPARED TO THE HEIGHT OF THE WIND TURBINE. A METEOROLOGICAL EVALUATION TOWER (MET) FOR THE WIND COMPANY ABOUT 0.6 NAUTICAL MILES TO THE SOUTHWEST RECORDED 100% HUMIDITY AT 247 FT AGL STARTING AT 0340 AND CONTINUING UNTIL 1140.
THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS IN A GENTLY ROLLING AGRICULTURAL FIELD ABOUT 13 NAUTICAL MILES SOUTHWEST OF YANKTON, SOUTH DAKOTA. IMPACT MARKS AND DEBRIS WERE CONSISTENT WITH THE AIRPLANE IMPACTING THE TERRAIN IN A LEFT WING LOW, NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. THE DEBRIS FIELD WAS ABOUT 200FT IN LENGTH ON A HEADING OF ABOUT 023 DEGREES. ADDITIONAL COCKPIT RELATED DEBRIS WERE FOUND ABOUT 500 FT PAST THE MAIN WRECKAGE.
THE MAIN WRECKAGE CONSISTED OF THE REAR FUSELAGE, EMPENNAGE, AND BOTH WINGS. THE FORWARD FUSELAGE WITH THE ENGINE ATTACHED WERE FOUND IN A VERTICAL ORIENTATION IN A SHALLOW CRATER. BOTH WING FUEL TANKS WERE FOUND SEPARATED FROM THE WING STRUCTURE WITH TANK WALL FRACTURES CONSISTENT WITH LIQUID HYDRAULIC DEFORMATION.
INSPECTION OF THE WIND TURBINE BY A WIND COMPANY REPRESENTATIVE SHOWED NO EVIDENCE OF AIRPLANE STRIKE DAMAGE OR WITNESS MARKS TO THE TOWER OR THE TURBINE BLADES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.