The National Transportation Safety Board has published a factual report on a plane crash that killed four central South Dakota men near Highmore almost a year ago. A Piper airplane collided with the blades of a wind turbine at a wind farm south of Highmore on April 27, 2014, killing the pilot and three passengers. Witnesses reported seeing the plane flying low-around 200 feet above the ground-about 30 minutes before the 9:15 pm crash. NTSB investigator Jennifer Rodi (ROH-dee) says exactly why the plane was at a low altitude has yet to be pinpointed.
Rodi says the plane’s pilot, 30-year-old Donald “DJ” Fischer of Gettysburg, was experienced and was a professional agricultural pilot.
The wind turbine tower the plane hit is one of 27 towers at the wind farm. The NTSB’s report indicates the light on that tower was not functioning at the time of the accident. Rodi says investigators are still looking into how much of a role that played in the crash.
Rodi says the NTSB will use the facts they have at this point to determine a probable cause for the crash and that report should be made available within 2-3 weeks.