On April 19th, 1993, South Dakota was plunged into mourning as Governor George S. Mickelson and seven others met a tragic end in a devastating plane crash near Dubuque, Iowa.

Mickelson, a figure of significant prominence in South Dakota politics, had risen through the ranks, serving as a representative in the State House before being elected as the 28th Governor of South Dakota in 1986 and reelected four years later. His leadership and dedication to the state were evident throughout his tenure as governor.

The ill-fated journey began as Mickelson was returning to Pierre from Cincinnati, where he and economic development specialists from South Dakota and the City of Sioux Falls had talked with John Morrell officials about keeping the company’s Sioux Falls meatpacking plant open.

Tragedy struck around 4 p.m. when pilots reported a loss of a left engine and cabin pressure, causing the plane to drop altitude. The plane, a twin-engine Mitsubishi MU2, hit a silo and exploded. All eight men died instantly on impact. The wreckage of the plane came to rest in a field.

Also killed in the crash were Roland Dolly, commissioner of the State Office of Economic Development; Ron Reed, Director of the State Office of Energy Policy; Angus Anson, General Manager of Northern State Power, South Dakota Region; David Birkeland, President and Chief Executive of First Bank of South Dakota; Roger Hainje, President of the Sioux Falls Development Foundation; Ron Becker, state chief pilot and David Hansen, state pilot.

In the aftermath of the crash, South Dakota found itself grappling with grief and disbelief. Walter Dale Miller stepped into the role of the 29th Governor of South Dakota and was tasked with leading the state through a period of mourning and transition.

The outpouring of support and remembrance for Governor Mickelson and his fellow passengers was immense. An estimated twelve to thirteen thousand people attended a memorial a few days later. Over 1,500 watched his funeral in person or on screens in the First United Methodist Church’s basement in Pierre. Mourners lined up along a 185-mile stretch of Highway 14 from Pierre to Brookings for the procession to Greenwood Cemetery in Brookings.

Mickelson’s namesake is remembered across South Dakota on various institutions and schools that bear his name. The 108-mile Mickelson Trail in the Black Hills was named after the governor, who spearheaded the project before his death.

The Fighting Stallions Memorial sits on the grounds of the South Dakota Capitol and is a tribute to the eight men who died on that fateful day in 1993.

Other Media
Governor Mickelson’s 1988 State of the State speech
George S. Mickelson Inauguration – 1991
George S. Mickelson Trail – 1991 Dedication Event
Five Days in April: A George S. Mickelson Retrospective