1968 — Mar 17 Beechcraft with HS cheerleaders landing crash in crosswind, Rapid City, SD–9

–9 AP. “Plane Crash Kills 9…Six High School Cheerleaders…” Daily Plainsman, Huron, SD. 3-18-1968, p.1.
–9 Aviation Safety Network. Beechcraft E185 landing crash Rapid City SD, 17-Mar-1968.
–9 National Transportation Safety Board. “NTSB Identification: MKC68A0056.”

Narrative Information

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database:
“Date: 17-Mar-1968
“Time: 11:12
“Type: Beechcraft E185
“Owner/Operator: Black Hills GI
“Registration: N3400….
“Fatalities: Fatalities: 9 / Occupants: 9 ….
“Phase: Landing
“Nature: Passenger – Non-Scheduled/charter/Air Taxi ….
“Confidence Rating: Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources
“Narrative: Crashed and burned while landing. High School girls.
rt [right] cross wind 20 knots, gusting. Exceeded rearward cg limits

National Transportation Safety Board. “NTSB Identification: MKC68A0056.”
“Aircraft: Beech E18S, registration: N3400
“File 3-1564
“Date 68/3/17
“Location Rapid City, S Dak ….
“Injuries CR- 1
PX- 8
OT- 0
“Flight Purpose Noncommercial Pleasure/Personal Transp
“Pilot Data Private, age 56, 10000 total hours, 135 in type, not instrument rated.
“Name of Airport Rapid City, S DAK
“Type of Accident Stall Landing: Final approach
“Probable Cause(s) Pilot in Command – Improper compensation for wind conditions.
Pilot in Command – Failed to obtain/maintain flying speed
Pilot in Command – Inadequate preflight preparation and/or planning
Weather – unfavorable wind conditions
“Factor(s) Miscellaneous acts, conditions – improperly loaded aircraft – weight-
and/or C.G. [center of gravity]
“Relative Bearing of wind…Right cross wind 068-112 degrees
“Wind Velocity – Knots 20
“Type of Weather Conditions VFR [visual flight rules]
….
“Fire after impact
“Remarks RT cross wind 20 knots, busting. Exceeded rearward CG limits.

Newspaper

March 18, AP: “Rapid City (AP) – Six high school girl cheerleaders and three adults were killed in the crash and burning of a twin-engine plane coming home from the South Dakota State Basketball Tournament Sunday. The tragedy stunned this western South Dakota city, and the Rapid City High School of some 2,600 students was closed today….

“The aircraft, a Beechcraft BE18, was returning from Sioux Falls, where the state’s Class A high school basketball tourney concluded Saturday night.

“Ivan Landstrom, 56, prominent local business man, was piloting his own plane and landing in a crosswind of 20 m.p.h. with gusts to 25 m.p.h. A witness said the plane had nearly touched down when it rose into the air, then cartwheeled on a wing and screeched to a stop 100 yards off the runway. Apparently it flipped in the wind. A fire broke out and all nine aboard perished in the plane, as intense heat melted the fuselage. Several hundred acres of nearby grassland were burned.

“Those killed were Landstrom; his wife Mary, 50; Mrs. Dorothy Lloyd, 60, an English teacher and faculty advisor to the cheerleaders; and the girls – Shirley Landstrom 17, daughter of the Landstroms; Jan Glaze and Kay McNutt, both 17; and Gail Flohr, Terry Blanton, and Diane McCluskey, all 16…..

“Firemen had to be summoned from 10 miles away at Rapid City and Ellsworth Air Force Base, since the airport did not have fire engines.

“The plane Landstrom was flying was owned by B. and L. Aviation Inc., a charter flying service which was co-owned by Landstrom. He also owned Landstrom’s Jewelry, Black Hills Jewelry Manufacturing Co., and Black Hills Glass and Mirror Co., all of Rapid City….

“Landstrom had flown the plane to Sioux Falls last Wednesday. He and the others left Sioux Falls about 9:30 a.m. Sunday for the 320-mile flight. The crash occurred shortly after 11 a.m. ….” (Associated Press. “Plane Crash Kills 9, Stuns Rapid City. Six High School Cheerleaders Among Victims; School Closes.” The Daily Plainsman, Huron, SD. 3-18-1968, p. 1.)

Sources

Associated Press. “Plane Crash Kills 9, Stuns Rapid City. Six High School Cheerleaders Among Victims; School Closes.” The Daily Plainsman, Huron, SD. 3-18-1968, p. 1. Accessed 7-16-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/huron-daily-plainsman-mar-18-1968-p-1/

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database. Beechcraft E185 landing crash Rapid City SD, 17-Mar-1968. Accessed 7-16-2023 at: https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/4159

National Transportation Safety Board. “NTSB Identification: MKC68A0056.” Accessed 7-16-2023 at: https://www.ntsb.gov/Pages/brief.aspx?ev_id=12959&key=0