2009 Peterson Dragonfly II Collision with Terrain Near Arthur, Nebraska (N360KK)

Accident Overview and Flight History On June 11, 2009, at 1233 mountain daylight time, an amateur-built Peterson Dragonfly II airplane, N360KK, was destroyed during an in-flight collision with terrain near Arthur, Nebraska. The personal flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 without a flight plan. The pilot, a 51-year-old non-instrument rated private pilot, sustained fatal injuries. The flight departed Miller Field Airport (VTN) in Valentine, Nebraska, at 1139 Central time. The intended destination was not determined. GPS data indicated the pilot had departed Thief River Falls Regional Airport (TVF) in Minnesota at 0438 that morning, landing at VTN at 0817. An FBO employee at VTN recalled the pilot stating he was waiting out weather en route to Tucson. The pilot departed VTN at 1239 and proceeded south-southwest. At approximately 1327, the flight reversed course and proceeded north at a GPS altitude of 3,963 feet. The aircraft then entered a left turn, completing nearly three 360-degree turns with successively smaller radii while climbing to approximately 5,100 feet. The aircraft then entered a right turn, with the final GPS data point recorded at 1233:15 at an altitude of 3,602 feet. The accident site was located on open, marshy terrain about 13 miles east-northeast of Arthur, Nebraska.