SPEARFISH, S.D. (AP) - The National Transportation Safety Board has concluded that pilot error was the cause of a November 2014 plane crash in Montana that killed a priest from Lead, South Dakota.
The Rev. Peter Kovarik, 50, was piloting the single-engine Cessna 170B when it crashed, the Black Hills Pioneer (https://bit.ly/2jZWveK ) reported. Kovarik was the only person on board the private airplane.
Kovarik, who owned the plane, flew out of Black Hills Airport in Spearfish, South Dakota, at around 11 a.m. on Nov. 28, 2014. A flight plan wasn’t filed, but it also wasn’t required.
Authorities were notified of Kovarik’s disappearance the following day. Spearfish Civil Air Patrol cadets found the wreckage later that day in the Finger Buttes area of Montana, about 80 miles northwest of the Black Hills Airport.
The NTSB ruled that Kovarik lost control of his plane while maneuvering around mountain terrain. There were no witnesses to the crash.
Toxicology reports show there were no findings of carbon monoxide, cyanide, volatiles or drugs. There also wasn’t any indication of mechanical malfunctions or failures on the plane.
Kovarik had a Class 3 medical certificate without limitations or waivers, and his last medical exam was conducted in May 2014. He had nearly 1,600 hours of flight time.
The NTSB didn’t require an autopsy as part of its investigation, according to Sheriff Neil Kittelmann of Carter County, Montana. A board spokesman said such a decision is made by local authorities.
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Information from: Black Hills Pioneer, https://www.bhpioneer.com
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