The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released their preliminary report on a plane crash near Crofton in August that resulted in the death of the pilot.
According to the report, the pilot, Joseph Rudloff, 73, of Norfolk was flying over Yankton when he made a telephone call at 8:30 a.m. on August 26th to a friend to inquire about the weather and airport options.
Rudloff said in the phone call that he wasn’t able to land in Yankton due to the weather.
The airplane was found about 9:30 a.m. in an field near Crofton by local law enforcement. First responders stated that the weather at the accident site was fog with visibility of about 50 ft.
The main wreckage consisted of the rear fuselage, empennage, and both wings. 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 turbine blades.
The crash is still under investigation.
