Witness Says Pilot Fell out of Plane Prior to Impact

"I don't understand what happened," Bob Anderson said. "I am surprised he is alive and not fried or killed."

So said a friend of pilot Ronald Duane Tietjen, who flew an unknown- type ultralight into electricity transmission lines Thursday in Spearfish, SD.

The accident took down the Northern Black Hills power grid and left residents in six towns without power.

Tietjen, 52, walked away from the accident with a superficial head wound, according to the Black Hills Pioneer.

Witnesses told reporters the aircraft had been flying low for at least an hour prior to the accident. One woman said she was surprised the plane hadn't crashed before it did, as she had seen it flying very low about an hour earlier.

According to a spokesperson for the Black Hills Corporation Rapid City office, Barbara Zar, board member Kay Jorgensen was near the scene with Tietjen went down. She reported the aircraft impacted the transmission lines from the Lookout Substation on Highway 85 north of Spearfish and the pilot had fallen out of the plane just prior to the crash and was walking around after the fact.

According to Ray Jilek, manager of Black Hills Airport/Clyde Ice Field, the Federal Aviation Association will conduct an investigation.

The FAA declined to comment according to the Pioneer.

FMI: www.faa.gov, www.fltplan.com/AirportInformation/SPF.htm