Accident Overview
On an unspecified date, an airplane took off from runway 33 at Custer State Park Airport (3V0), a 4,000-foot by 50-foot dry asphalt strip. According to a witness, the airplane became airborne about halfway down the runway. The witness then saw the pilot push the nose over, apparently to gain airspeed. The witness radioed the pilot to ask if he had trouble, and the pilot responded, "No, just a little trouble climbing." The witness suggested turning into the wind, but the pilot replied that he had his hands full and asked not to be called again. The witness watched the airplane until it disappeared around the edge of a ridge beyond the runway end, and a few minutes later saw smoke rising over the ridge.
Witness Accounts
Several witnesses at a campground in the park observed the airplane flying westbound through a canyon along the state park road. One witness reported that the airplane was below the tops of the mountains and trees forming the canyon walls. Another witness saw the airplane bank hard to the left, with its right wing high and left wing low, close to the ground. The next moment, the airplane had crashed.
Environmental Factors
The Custer State Park Airport lies in a valley at an elevation of 3,980 feet. Terrain rises off the end of runway 33 to a 4,400-foot ridge 1.4 miles north of the airport, and a second 4,800-foot ridge begins 4 miles north, forming the north side of a canyon. The canyon runs east to west with steep walls and sharp turns. A firefighter pilot at 3V0 noted that runway 33 slopes uphill, and westerly winds coming off the hills create difficulties for airplanes with insufficient climb power. He stated that after takeoff from runway 33, aircraft settle over the valley, and continuing flight leads to rising terrain and the canyon, where inability to climb results in a crash.
Weather conditions at the Custer County Municipal Airport (field elevation 5,602 feet, 11 miles southwest) recorded a temperature of 60°F and altimeter setting of 29.95 inches of Mercury. Using the airplane's Owner's Handbook climb speed and rate chart, with a density altitude of 7,001 feet, the calculated rate of climb was approximately 315 feet per minute.
Toxicology
FAA toxicology testing of specimens from the pilot detected 0.85 µg/ml of cyanide in the blood. Normal blood cyanide concentrations are below 0.15 µg/ml, while lethal concentrations exceed 3 µg/ml. The source does not state whether the pilot survived or died.
Wreckage Examination
An examination of the airplane wreckage revealed no anomalies.