The plane that crashed in western Minnesota, killing one person aboard, was a jet fighter training aircraft that was heading to an airport near a famed world air show, according to federal regulators and a flight-tracking website.
The crash occurred about 5:30 p.m. Monday near Hwy. 23 and the Granite Falls Municipal Airport, the Yellow Medicine County Sherif’s Office said. The flight originated in Alpine, Wyo., with a final destination of Fond Du Lac County, Wis., according to FlightAware.com.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office identified the crash victim who died as David Colin Dacus, 49, of San Francisco. Surviving the crash was Mark Ryan Ruff, 43, of Dallas, the Sheriff’s Office said.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the plane is registered out of Alpine, Wyo., and is a privately owned Aero Vodochody L-39 Albatros, a Czech-made aircraft used by many air forces around the world for training.
About 10 minutes before the crash, the Sheriff’s Office received a report that a jet was experiencing engine trouble near the airport.
The FAA said in its initial report that the plane “experienced engine issues, struck power lines and impacted terrain.”
First responders were dispatched and saw one person standing by the highway and was given medical attention, while the other person aboard was declared dead at the scene, the Sheriff’s Office said.
A Bloomington police bomb squad was summoned Monday night at the crash site because of “concern over the aircraft ejection seat,” said Deputy Police Chief Kimberly Clauson. “Our squad worked with others over the evening to render the aircraft equipment safe. ... Apparently, the ejection seats are powered by an under seat rocket motor, which is why the bomb squad was contacted.”
