Report sheds new light on Brookings plane crash

BROOKINGS The troubles for a plane that crashed on Sept. 6 at Brookings Regional Airport and injured three people began not long after takeoff, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.

In its preliminary crash report, the agency noted that the pilot reported a moderate vibration beginning at around 200 to 300 feet off the ground just after takeoff.

He heard a bang, and he noted a decrease in engine power and thrust. All the engine instruments looked good, except for the rpm gauge, which normally would be at 2,500 rpm but was showing only 2,300 rpm, according to the report. The pilot lowered the nose of the airplane and began a slow turn back toward the airport. He applied full throttle, but it did not change anything.

The report continued, At one point the pilot heard the stall horn and leveled the airplane. He realized he would not make the airport and aimed at a grass clearing.

Per earlier coverage in the Brookings Register, the three injured people were:

• Evan Koep, 32, of Brookings who was piloting the single-engine, four-seat Beechcraft sustained contusions, abrasions and burns.
• Hayden Kerkart, 29, of Baltic, a front-seat passenger, sustained contusions, abrasions and burns.
• Caden Walkes, 28, of Brandon, who was a rear-seat passenger, sustained minor contusions and abrasions.

The report noted that Kerkart was knocked unconscious during the landing, and that Koep and Walkes were able to pull him from the aircraft, which caught fire shortly after crashing.

The pilot dialed 911 and handed his phone to the rear seat passenger who had lost his phone in the cockpit, to complete the call, according to the report. The pilot and the other passenger, who had regained consciousness, crawled into some tall wet grass to put further separation between themselves and the fire.

The post-crash blaze destroyed most of the Beech 35-C33 aircraft, consuming most of its fuselage and portions of both wings. The plane has since been recovered for further examination.

In its earlier reporting, the Register learned from Brookings Police Chief Michael Drake that the three men were heading to the South Dakota State football game in Bozeman, Montana, when the incident unfolded.

Finally, the NTSB preliminary report is just that. Its findings are subject to change if additional information is uncovered.

Contact Mondell Keck at [email protected].