Sunday, October 02, 2022

Cessna 172S Skyhawk SP, N262TA: Fatal accident occurred October 01, 2022 in Hermantown, Saint Louis County, Minnesota

Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Minneapolis, Minnesota 

Aircraft crashed under unknown circumstances into a home.


Date: 02-OCT-22
Time: 01:28:00Z
Regis#: N262TA
Aircraft Make: CESSNA
Aircraft Model: 172
Event Type: ACCIDENT
Highest Injury: FATAL
Total Fatal: 3
Flight Crew: 1 Fatal 
Pax: 2 Fatal
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: UNKNOWN
Activity: PERSONAL
Flight Phase: INITIAL CLIMB (ICL)
Operation: 91
City: HERMANTOWN
State: MINNESOTA

Those who may have information that might be relevant to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation may contact them by email witness@ntsb.gov, and any friends and family who want to contact investigators about the accident should email assistance@ntsb.gov. You can also call the NTSB Response Operations Center at 844-373-9922 or 202-314-6290. 


The Schmidt family released the following statement on the crash:

“We are heartbroken by the untimely and devastating loss of three beautiful souls, Alyssa, Matt and Tyler. Deeply devoted family members, Alyss and Matt had infectious spirits and were wholly selfless in their approach to lie. Most importantly, they were best friends who enjoyed each other’s company while taking many adventures together. Alyssa spent considerable time teaching the future generation with an uncanny ability to connect with all on an individual level. She consistently lit up a room and always made sure everyone was having a good time. Matt viewed life from a glass half full perspective and made sure to take full advantage of every opportunity. He frequently lent a helping hand to those most in need. Both have made an indelible impression on the world and will live forever in our hearts and memories. We are so grateful for the outpouring of love and support from family, friends and our community. We kindly ask that everyone respect our privacy during this extremely difficult time.”

Schmidt Family

From left, Alyssa Schmidt and her brother Matthew Schmidt.




The wreckage of a plane that crashed minutes after taking off from the Duluth International Airport on Saturday, killing the pilot and two passengers, is on its way to the Twin Cities for a partial reconstruction and examination by aviation experts. 

Aaron McCarter, an investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board, told MPR News that the remnants of the plane were hauled away Monday afternoon as part of the effort to determine the cause of the crash. The wreckage will be examined in south Minneapolis starting Tuesday morning. 

The Cessna 172 went down and hit a home in Hermantown, about two miles southwest of the airport, late Saturday night. The pilot, Tyler Fretland, 32, of Burnsville, and two passengers, siblings Alyssa Schmidt, 32, of St. Paul and Matthew Schmidt, 31, of Burnsville, died in the crash.

The plane struck the roof of a home and broke apart in the yard. No one on the ground, including two people who were inside the home, was physically injured.

The NTSB’s McCarter said representatives of the aircraft manufacturer and its engine maker and other officials will join his probe into the crash, although he said there was no immediate indication of a mechanical problem before the crash.  

McCarter said the plane took off in Duluth at about 11:10 p.m. on Saturday and crashed about 7 minutes later, apparently during the plane’s initial climb. “It was a very short flight,” he said. “They never got established on their route to down South St. Paul.” 

McCarter did say that the weather was less than ideal at the time of the crash, including a low cloud ceiling and precipitation.

“I wouldn't say it was hazardous weather. I would say it was low visibility and in mist, and it was a very dark night,” he said.

He said the control tower at the Duluth airport was staffed at the time. 

McCarter said the initial indication was that the weather may have imposed instrument flight rules, rather than the less-complicated visual flight rules. He said Fretland, the pilot, had a commercial pilot’s license and was instrument rated for flying aircraft. Fretland also filed a flight plan, indicating his destination in the Twin Cities. 

McCarter said investigators will be looking at many factors — about the plane, the pilot and the weather conditions — as they try to determine what caused the plane to crash.

The Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan school district said Monday that Alyssa Schmidt, one of the passengers who died, had been teaching second grade at Echo Park Elementary School of Leadership, Engineering and Technology in Burnsville. She had been with the district since 2014, and previously taught kindergarten and third grade.

“We are deeply saddened over the tragic loss of three lives, including an incredibly talented young teacher who positively impacted students every day,” the district said in a statement. “District 196 and the Echo Park school community are focused on supporting staff, students and families through this sudden and difficult loss.”

The NTSB typically issues a preliminary report about 10 days after the start of an investigation, which may offer more details. It’s issued after a full examination of the wreckage, a complete analysis of the weather, and interviews with any air traffic control personnel or witnesses who may have details on the incident, as well as other relevant information. 

A full report on the crash is likely to be finished in about a year. 


Tyler Fretland














HERMANTOWN — Three Twin Cities area residents were killed late Saturday night when the small airplane they were flying in crashed into a home and yard just south of Duluth International Airport.

Hermantown officials said Sunday afternoon that Alyssa Schmidt, 32, of St. Paul, and her brother, Matthew Schmidt, 31, of Burnsville, Minnesota, were passengers in the plane, while Tyler Fretland, 32, of Burnsville, was the pilot. All three died in the crash.

Two occupants in the house, Jason and Crystal Hoffman, were not injured in the crash that happened Saturday just minutes before midnight.

"I’m still not sure what to think. It doesn’t seem real, at all. We’re just lucky. The loss of life is heartbreaking. At the same time we’re grateful for making it through this," Jason Hoffman said, recalling the crash on Sunday morning.

According to Hermantown Communications Director Joe Wicklund, the Hermantown Police Department was notified by the airport's control tower that a small airplane had left radar and was believed to have crashed. The control tower advised the last location on radar was 1 to 1.5 miles south of the airport.

Police and fire departments from surrounding agencies responded to the area and located the wreckage of a Cessna 172S Skyhawk SP plane in the 5100 block of Arrowhead Road. The airplane hit the second floor before coming to rest in the backyard of the property.

The plane took out much of the second floor of the home at 5154 Arrowhead Road. Pieces of the plane, and damaged vehicles that were parked in the yard, were strewn across the backyard. The largest intact piece of the Cessna appeared to be the tail section. Wicklund said the occupants of the small brick house were upstairs when the crash occurred and were unscathed.

"I remember waking up to a very loud explosion and my wife screaming," Hoffman said. "The first thing I thought was that the furnace exploded."
  
It wasn't until he fumbled through the darkness and dust to get a flashlight that Hoffman noticed an airplane wheel next to his bed and realized it was a crash.

Neighbors quickly responded to the scene and warned the Hoffmans not to move yet as there were live power lines around the home. The couple found their cat unharmed in the basement and eventually left the home when the dust and rubble became overpowering.

The crash apparently caused extensive power outages in the area but Minnesota Power reported no customers without power at 8 a.m. Sunday.

Hoffman believes the house may be a total loss. He and his wife have lived there for seven years since moving from Worthington, Minnesota.

"This was actually the first house we saw when we came into town. My wife and I said to each other, we need to live there, and ended up buying it, amazingly," Hoffman said. "It was kind of like a storybook tale that we found it and fell in love with it so quickly."

The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are performing an investigation, authorities said. 
  
Additional information will be released in concert with the NTSB.