South Dakota plane crash leaves 9 dead, including 2 children, officials say

BRULE COUNTY, S.D. — Nine people are dead, including two children, after a small plane crashed Saturday in South Dakota, officials said.

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According to KELO-TV and the Argus Leader, the deadly incident, which involved a Pilatus PC-12, occurred about 12:30 p.m. in Brule County. The Idaho-bound plane was carrying 12 people when it took off in Chamberlain and crashed minutes later, the National Transportation Safety Board said.

Here are the latest updates: 

Update 7:13 a.m. EST Dec. 2: Kyäni President Travis Garza has issued a statement identifying the victims of Saturday's deadly plane crash in South Dakota.

According to EastIdahoNews.com, the dead include Kirk and Jim Hansen, executives with Conrad & Bischoff, Kyäni and KJ's Super Stores; their father, James Hansen; Kirk Hansen's sons, Stockton and Logan Hansen; Jim Hansen's son, Jake Hansen; Jim Hansen's grandson, Houston Hansen; and Kirk Hansen's sons-in-law, Kyle Naylor and Tyson Dennert.

Kirk Hansen's son, Josh Hansen; Jim Hansen's son, Matt Hansen; and Jim Hansen's son-in-law, Thomas Long, survived the crash, the news outlet reported.

Update 3:15 p.m. EST Dec. 1: While police have not officially confirmed the name of the passengers who died, EastIdahoNews.com, citing relatives, said two of the people were executives with Conrad & Bischoff, Kyäni and KJ's Super Stores.

The family members were flying to a hunting trip when the plane crashed, the news outlet reported. According to Federal Aviation Association records, the airplane was registered to Conrad and Bischoff Inc. of Idaho Falls, the Argus Leader reported.

Family friends said the group was returning from a traditional Thanksgiving hunting trip in South Dakota, KIDK-TV reported.

Biran Wood, the owner of Wood Funeral Home in Idaho Falls, called the Hansen family "Pillars in the community."

"Oftentimes people that lose a loved one are not financially prepared to pay for the many things surrounding their final expenses," Wood wrote in a Facebook post. "Many, many times through the years I received a text message from Jim or Kirk asking if there was anyone having a hard time paying their bill. When there was, they'd give me their credit card number without a second thought and pay the bill for them."

Original report. The pilot and eight passengers, ages 7 to 81, died, the Argus Leader reported. A 17-year-old boy and two men, ages 27 and 28, survived and were taken to nearby hospitals, authorities said.

Winter weather may have played a role in the crash, which remains under investigation, authorities said.

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