National Transportation Safety Board authorities found the wreckage at the South Dakota Wind Energy Center, where 27 turbines tower 213 feet tall, not counting the blades. One of the turbines was damaged, but the heavy fog has kept investigators from inspecting the scene, according to Syracuse.com.
This is not the first time a plane has crashed into a wind farm--in 2008 near southeast Minnesota, poor weather caused the pilot of a 1948 Cessna 140 to lose control while trying to fly around wind turbines.
Funeral homes confirmed the deaths of the 30-year-old pilot, Donald J. "D.J." Fischer, and of cattlemen Logan Rau and Brent Beitelspacher. Another funeral home declined to provide information on the fourth victim.
The fatal crash deeply affected the ranching community and Gettysburg, South Dakota.
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Is this going to happen in Somerset County with 600 foot tall towers?
ReplyDeleteComing soon to Somerset County, starting in Crisfield!
ReplyDeleteThe minimum en route altitudes in that area (as well as Crisfield soon) should have reflected the sea-level altitude obstructions in that area on the appropriate charts.
ReplyDeleteIf he was within 213 ft of the ground in fog - he was where he should not have been! Why he was there might be a different story - not to take anything away from the pilot.....
I guess the wind turbine just jumped out in front of the plane. Sorry to the families for their loss, but as in most airline fatalities its pilot error.
ReplyDeleteAnother Aviation Expert. Lol
DeleteJust say NO to the government subsidized, good for nothing wind farms. they don't do enough to light up a lamp for any length of time and costs us a fortune in tax dollars. Stop this nonsense now.
ReplyDelete2:20 Are there dumb pilots flying over Somerset? Let me guess... the wind turbine jumped up and blocked the plane like Manute Bol?
ReplyDelete3:39. Your comment seems so well informed. Do a little more research.
ReplyDeleteHow far would the one in Crisfield be from the airport there?
ReplyDelete2:54 you land on the ground. So all depends on where this wind farm was. On the top of a hill?
ReplyDeleteMy biggest problem with these is they kill millions of bats and birds a year. Many protected eagles are killed by these machines. No bird or bat is safe with these monsters around.
So apparently everyone else but me made sense of that photo.
ReplyDeleteTo avoid this is the reason Radio Towers have lights.
ReplyDeleteNo lights on windmills is a big problem.