Small Aircraft Crashes

[Brad]

Seems like there have been a lot of small aircraft crashes in Nebraska this year. However after digging only 1 more than last year and the same amount of fatalities as last year.

2024
02/11/2024 - Poole, Nebraska - Serious Injuries
08/26/2024 - Crofton, Nebraska - Fatal
08/26/2024 - Wayne, Nebraska - Fatal
09/02/2024 - Columbus, Nebraska - Fatal
09/25/2024 - Lexington, Nebraska - Serious Injuries
10/07/2024 - Norfolk, Nebraska - Fatal

2023
01/11/2023 - Auburn, Nebraska - Fatal
05/14/2023 - Chambers, Nebraska - Fatal
06/02/2023 - Gibbon, Nebraska - Fatal
07/11/2023 - Boelus, Nebraska - Serious Injuries
10/30/2023 - McCook, Nebraska - Fatal

2022 was nearly the same.

[Nosebot]

3 fatal crashes in one week, two in one day??

[skinzfan23]

3 fatal crashes in one week, two in one day??

I believe those were attributed to a weather disturbance, correct?

[Brad]

3 fatal crashes in one week, two in one day??

I believe those were attributed to a weather disturbance, correct?

Seems like 2 of them might be weather.

On September 2, 2024, about 1215 central standard time, an Apex Cross-5X weight shift trike,
N223CL, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Columbus,
Nebraska. The pilot sustained fatal injuries. The trike was operated as a Title 14 Code of
Federal Regulations part 91 personal flight.

Witnesses saw the trike takeoff from a rural field near the pilot’s residence. Another pilot was
flying another trike nearby and was providing guidance via radio to the accident pilot. He
witnessed the accident trike become inverted and impact the garage of a residence.
The trike wreckage was transported to a secure municipal facility for examination. According
to the previous owner, the pilot just purchased the trike on August 15, 2024. According to
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records, the pilot did not have any pilot certificates or
ratings.

On August 26, 2024, about 0931 central daylight time, a Piper PA28-140, N9626K, was
destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Wayne, Nebraska. The private pilot was
fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91
personal flight.

The flight originated from Norfolk Regional Airport (OFK), Norfolk, Nebraska, and departed to
the northeast, presumably to return to Buffalo, Minnesota. The airplane had been hangered as
a transient at OFK for the weekend. The FBO manager stated that the airplane was refueled by
the pilot at the self-service fuel pump prior to departure but he did not observe the pilot check
the weather at the FBO.

The pilot rated landowner, whose property the airplane impacted, stated the clouds were at
about 100 ft above the ground when he initially heard the airplane fly by. Several minutes later
he heard the airplane at a very high rpm followed by a loud “pop” and silence afterwards. A
black plume of smoke appeared, and he eventually located the airplane in his cornfield.
Examination of the airframe, engine and propeller at the accident site did not reveal any preimpact anomalies. An SD card was recovered from a Honeywell AV8OR personal navigator and
was retained for data download.

The FBO manager stated weather at OFK at the time of departure of the accident airplane was
mostly clear skies with 10+ miles of visibility. A surface observation taken about 7 nautical
miles southeast of the accident site recorded ceilings at 600 ft agl near the time of the
accident. A preliminary review of weather radar for the time and place of the accident showed
a band of precipitation moving across the area. Flight track data showed the airplane traveling
below 1,000 ft agl.

On August 26, 2024, about 0841, central daylight time (CDT), a Rans S-19 airplane, N519JR,
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.

About 0830 while over Yankton, South Dakota, the pilot made a telephone call to a friend to
inquire about the weather and airport options. The pilot reported that he was unable to land in
Yankton due to the weather as pilot did not hold an instrument rating. The friend suggested to
the pilot to head southwest about 77 nautical miles to Albion, Nebraska, as the automated
weather reporting at the airport showed he could land using Visual Flight Rules (VFR). The
0835 Automated Weather Observation Station (AWOS) observation at the Albion Municipal
Airport (BVN) reported clear skies and 10 miles visibility. The friend stated that the pilot
seemed calm and did not mention if he was in instrument meteorological conditions.

After the telephone conversation, the friend sent a text message to the pilot at 0842 stating
that the weather in Columbus, Nebraska, was also showing VFR. The AWOS 0856 observation
at the Columbus Municipal Airport (OLU) reported the same clear weather as Albion. During
the same period, the 0825 AWOS observation at the Yankton Chan Gurney Municipal Airport
(YKN), located 13 miles from the accident site, reported a broken ceiling at 200 ft above
ground level (AGL) and a visibility of ¼ mile with fog and light rain.

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 visibility of about 50 ft.
Law enforcement vehicle dash camera footage at 0946 showed a cloud ceiling of about 260 ft
AGL when compared to the height of the wind turbine (See figure 1). 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.