History of Flight
On November 2, 2018, about 1136 central daylight time, a Cessna T210N airplane, registration N81KD, was destroyed after impacting terrain near Bradley, South Dakota. The pilot sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was operated by the pilot as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight departed Clark County Airport (8D7), Clark, South Dakota, about 1115, destined for Sigurd Anderson Airport (1D7), Webster, South Dakota.
Earlier that morning, the pilot flew from Sioux Falls Regional Airport (FSD) to 8D7 after diverting due to poor weather at the intended destination. While taxiing for departure from 8D7 at 1108, the pilot called a friend to inquire about local weather. The friend reported low clouds and later stated he expected the pilot to remain below the clouds and "scud run" to 1D7.
Radar data did not capture the initial departure, consistent with low-altitude flight. The airplane reached 800 ft above ground level at 1132. During the final minute of data, it turned left about 90°, climbed from 1,000 to 2,100 ft agl, and slowed from 144 to 106 knots groundspeed. Radar data ended at 1135:05. Wreckage was found less than one nautical mile from the last radar point. A witness heard what sounded like an airplane climbing and descending twice, followed by a loud bang. The airplane struck terrain in a steep nose-down attitude, and a postcrash fire ensued.
Personnel Information
The pilot held a private pilot certificate with a single-engine land rating and received a special issuance third-class medical certificate on April 12, 2018, due to obstructive sleep apnea, with a limitation to wear corrective lenses. He began flight training for his private pilot license in late March 2018, completed it in May 2018, and subsequently purchased the accident aircraft. According to his flight instructor, the pilot was "conscientious" and planned to begin instrument training soon.
A friend who flew frequently with the pilot described him as "gung-ho" and sometimes in a "go-go-go" mode. The friend, also a pilot, believed the accident pilot was proficient when using the autopilot but less skilled when hand-flying. The friend reported that, during a flight in September 2018, the accident pilot climbed through a cloud deck with the autopilot engaged and flew in instrument meteorological conditions despite lacking an instrument rating.
Aircraft Information
The airplane, manufactured in 1981, was equipped with a Continental TSIO-520-R5A engine and a McCauley three-blade metal propeller. The last annual inspection occurred on January 30, 2018.
Meteorological Information
At 1053, the weather at Watertown Regional Airport (ATY), 26 miles southeast, included wind from 060° at 6 knots, 10 miles or greater visibility, an overcast ceiling at 600 ft agl, temperature 2°C, and dew point 2°C. At Aberdeen Regional Airport (ABR), 37 miles northwest, conditions were wind calm, 4 miles visibility, mist, and an overcast ceiling at 500 ft agl. At 1153, ATY reported scattered clouds at 600 ft and an overcast ceiling at 1,900 ft; ABR still had mist and an overcast ceiling at 500 ft. Radar imagery showed no precipitation over the accident site. AIRMETs Sierra and Zulu, valid for the area, indicated instrument flight rules conditions due to mist and fog. The pilot did not request a weather briefing from the FAA flight service contractor, and no evidence was found that he used ForeFlight or other weather sources.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The airplane impacted in a nose-down, left-wing-low attitude, and a postimpact fire consumed the cabin. The wreckage path extended about 270 ft on an easterly heading, with soot on various debris pieces. The engine was inverted near the impact crater; the six cylinders exhibited impact damage but no preimpact anomalies via borescope inspection. The crankshaft propeller flange was fractured and remained attached to the propeller hub, which separated from the engine. All three blades showed leading-edge gouges and chordwise scratches; one blade was broken and bent aft, while the other two had S-shaped bending. The fuel pump's shear shaft was intact, magnetos were damaged, and the fuel screen was unobstructed. Control cable continuity was established for aileron, rudder, elevator, and elevator trim. The instrument panel was fragmented and destroyed by fire; the pilot-side attitude indicator gyro rotor had rotational scoring. Postaccident examinations of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy performed by the Sanford Health Pathology Clinic, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, determined the cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries. Toxicology testing at the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory was negative for drugs and ethanol.