A small plane crashed on Saturday in South Dakota, killing nine people, including two children, the US Air Regulator (FAA) said. Three other people were injured in the crash of this Pilatus PC-12, a single-engine aircraft that was full with 12 people on board, and was in the take-off phase, according to the FAA.
Weather Alert
The pilot was killed, said local prosecutor Theresa Maule Rossow. The National Transportation Safety Council (NTSB) reported on Twitter that it was investigating "the crash of a PC-12 Pilatus near Chamberlain". The plane took off shortly before noon local time (21:00 GMT) from Chamberlain to Idaho Falls, a thousand miles to the west.
The region was under weather alert for winter storm. The US Meteorological Institute had forecasting gusty snowfalls that "could dramatically reduce visibility". "The men and women of law enforcement, relief and medical personnel must be commended for their heroic action to save the victims in extreme weather conditions," said the prosecutor's office.