At 9:00 a.m. on the morning of September 6th, the single engine plane crashed minutes after take-off.
In its preliminary report, the National Transportation Safety Board says the pilot reported a moderate vibration that began at about 200 to 300 feet of altitude. He heard a bang and noted a decrease in engine power and thrust.
The pilot lowered the nose of the plane and began circling back toward the airport.
At one point, the pilot heard the stall horn and leveled the airplane. He realized he would not make the airport runway, and attempted to land at a grass clearing.
During the hard landing, the front right seat passenger was knocked unconscious.
After the plane came to a stop, it caught fire.
The pilot and a rear-seat passenger were able to remove the unconscious passenger from the wreckage.
They crawled into tall, wet grass to separate themselves from the fire.
The plane was destroyed by the post-impact fire that consumed most of the fuselage and a portion of both wings.
The pilot was identified as 32 year-old Evan Koep of Brookings.
The front-seat passenger was 29 year-old Hayden Kerkart, and the rear-seat passenger was 28 year-old Caden Walkes.
All three men survived the crash.
The plane was bound for Bozeman, Montana that day.