For the most part, South Dakota is a very safe place to live that boasts low crime rates and friendly residents. However, some things are just out of our control and sometimes terrible tragedies still manage to occur, like this deadly accident that left the entire country shaking:
It was 1999 when a chartered Learjet 35 was making a seemingly routine trip from Orlando to Texas with six on board.
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Shortly after takeoff, the unexplainable happened and the cabin lost its air pressure, resulting in the two pilots’ and four passengers’ incapacitation from hypoxia (or lack of oxygen).
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Because of the pilots’ inability to fly and/or comprehend what was happening, the plane - which was on autopilot - continued to ascend past its assigned altitude and began traveling northbound.
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After four hours of traveling on autopilot, the aircraft ran out of fuel and made its final descent into a field just outside of Aberdeen, which left behind a crater measuring 42 feet long and 21 feet wide.
YouTube/NBC News
Those on board the flight included the two pilots, PGA golfer Payne Stewart (pictured), Stewart’s two agents, and a golf architect.
Wikimedia Commons Because of the lack of oxygen, all six on board died before the plane’s crash.
After a major investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board, it was determined that the “probable cause of this accident was incapacitation of the flight crew members as a result of their failure to receive supplemental oxygen following a loss of cabin pressurization, for undetermined reasons.”
Wikimedia Commons It was also revealed that the plane had had ample maintenance work done to it due to previous issues with cabin pressure.
To get an even more in-depth look at the crash, watch this short news segment from NBC News:
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YouTube/NBC News
Because of the lack of oxygen, all six on board died before the plane’s crash.
It was also revealed that the plane had had ample maintenance work done to it due to previous issues with cabin pressure.
Sadly, the 1999 Learjet 35 Crash was not the only accident in South Dakota history, as evidenced by Most People Don’t Know About This South Dakota Nuclear Accident, And It Will Chill You To The Bone.
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