At 19:33 mountain time, the pilot of a Piper PA-44-180 operated by the University of North Dakota apparently committed suicide by crashing the airplane into runway 32 at Rapid City Regional Airport. The pilot was alone in the airplane. The aircraft had been conducting touch-and-goes when the pilot asked the tower controller to make a phone call and said, Tell my family and friends that I love them very much. The pilot then advised the controller to roll the equipment. The controller asked if he was declaring an emergency. The pilot responded with an expletive, then the airplane abruptly pitched up, climbed to about 1,000 feet agl, then crashed nose-down onto the runway.
Oct. 2, Rapid City, S.D. / Piper Seminole
At 19:33 mountain time, the pilot of a Piper PA-44-180 operated by the University of North Dakota apparently committed suicide by crashing the airplane into runway 32 at Rapid City Regional Airport. The pilot was alone in the airplane. The aircraft had been conducting touch-and-goes when the pilot asked the tower controller to make a phone call and said, Tell my family and friends that I love them very much. The pilot then advised the controller to roll the equipment. The controller asked if he was declaring an emergency. The pilot responded with an expletive, then the airplane abruptly pitched up, climbed to about 1,000 feet agl, then crashed nose-down onto the runway....
Key Takeaways:
- A University of North Dakota pilot committed suicide by crashing a Piper PA-44-180 into runway 32 at Rapid City Regional Airport.
- The pilot was alone in the aircraft and had been conducting touch-and-go maneuvers.
- Before the crash, the pilot asked the tower controller to call his family and friends to tell them he loved them.
- The airplane then abruptly pitched up, climbed to about 1,000 feet agl, and crashed nose-down onto the runway.
Key takeaways sponsored by Aviator Pro | Start Your Training ->
See a mistake? Contact us.
