Sioux Falls, South Dakota – A jet trainer crashed near Granite Falls, Minnesota, on Monday evening, after departing from Watertown, according to flight records. The Yellow Medicine County Sheriff’s Office in Minnesota reported that one person was killed and another was injured.
The plane, an Aero Vodochody L-39, crashed at 5:30 p.m., according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Flight Track records suggest that the jet trainer was on its way to Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.
David Colin Dacus, 49, of San Francisco, California, has died. The other passenger in the jet was Mark Ryan Ruff, 43, of Dallas, Texas, according to the sheriff’s office.
According to the sheriff’s office, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) were investigating the collision scene on Tuesday afternoon. The two authorities will remove and examine the wreckage at a different location.
Personnel responding to the disaster discovered an unspent cartridge used for the jet’s ejection seats. The Bloomington Bomb Squad and 148th Air Wing were summoned for assistance. The sheriff’s office said that the cartridge was securely removed from the site. A controlled explosion was conducted.
The crash was reported about 5:23 p.m. The sheriff’s office said it received a report of a plane with engine issues near Granite Falls Airport. An emergency call was placed at 5:32 p.m., stating that the jet had crashed near Minnesota Highway 23, north of the intersection with Yellow Medicine County Road 39.
Emergency responders discovered a person standing by the highway who need medical assistance. The sheriff’s office said that a second individual was pronounced dead on the scene.
Watertown is approximately 85 kilometers from Granite Falls. Granite Falls is located between US Highway 212 and Minnesota Highway 23. The municipal airport is approximately four miles south of the city.
According to industry websites, the Aero Vodochody L-39 is a flexible jet trainer.
