A Pilatus PC-12 crashed in a cornfield near Chamberlain, South Dakota, United States, claiming the lives of nine people on board, including the pilot. Three people have survived the crash and were subsequently transferred to a hospital in Sioux Falls for treatment, the Brule County Sheriff’s Office has noted in an official statement.
The single-engine turboprop private plane was on its way from Chamberlain Municipal Airport (9V9) to Idaho Falls Regional Airport (IDA), Idaho, United States. On November 30, 2019, the same day that the PC-12 crashed, a local National Weather Service agency in nearby Rapid City, South Dakota reported that strong winds, and“white-out conditions” are to develop through the day.
The winter storm will continue to bring moderate to heavy snow to northeast #WYwx and western #SDwx. Strong winds will develop later this morning, bringing white-out conditions. Travel will be greatly hindered! pic.twitter.com/sdDQjpkpVP
— NWS Rapid City (@NWSRapidCity) November 30, 2019
Report by The New York Times also indicates that the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) failed to reach the crash site on December 1, 2019, due to harsh weather conditions.
“The men and women of law enforcement, first responders and medical professionals should be commended in their heroic actions to rescue the victims in the extreme weather conditions,” says a release issued by Brule Country Sheriff’s Office.