GRANITE FALLS, MN — Authorities have identified the two individuals involved in Monday’s fatal jet crash near Granite Falls in Yellow Medicine County.
The Yellow Medicine County Sheriff’s Office reported that the aircraft, a 1979 Aero L-39 Albatros, experienced engine trouble around 5:23 p.m. while approaching the Granite Falls Municipal Airport. The jet crashed minutes later near Highway 23 and County Road 39.
Mark Ryan Ruff, 43, of Dallas, Texas, survived the crash and was found standing near the highway. He received medical attention at the scene. The second occupant, 49-year-old David Colin Dacus of San Francisco, California, was pronounced dead.
An unspent ejection seat cartridge was located at the crash site, prompting a response from the Bloomington Bomb Squad and the 148th Fighter Wing, who safely removed and detonated it.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating and will relocate the wreckage for further examination.
