Two teenage freshmen students attending the University of North Dakota (UND) were killed Friday in the crash of a 1971 Cessna 172L not owned by the school. The aircraft departed Crookston Municipal Airport (Minn.) at roughly 5:30 p.m. for the purpose of closed pattern work, which was expected to last an hour, according to a friend (and fellow student) who spoke with the students before the flight. The plane’s wreckage was discovered at 1:40 a.m. in a field about one mile southwest of the airport. Lowell Miller, manager of the Crookston airport, told The Associated Press that high winds and sporadic snowfall were present at the time of the flight. Jacob Rueth, 18, was the flight’s pilot and a pre-commercial aviation major at UND. FAA records indicate he had been a certificated private pilot since July. Jacob Sunblad, 19, was a pre-flight education major at UND. Sunblad was in pilot training but did not yet hold a private certificate. The aircraft was owned by Crookston Aviation Service. The FAA, the NTSB and Cessna have sent representatives to participate in the investigation.
UND Flight Students Crash In Minnesota
Key Takeaways:
- Two University of North Dakota freshmen students died in the crash of a privately owned 1971 Cessna 172L near Crookston Municipal Airport.
- The aircraft departed for pattern work on Friday evening, with its wreckage discovered hours later approximately one mile southwest of the airport.
- One student was a certificated private pilot, while the other was a pre-flight education major in pilot training.
- High winds and sporadic snowfall were reported in the area at the time of the flight, and an investigation by the FAA and NTSB is underway.
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