Thursday’s (Feb. 19, 2026) committee hearing on a $5 million request to replace aging patrol aircraft focused emotionally on the 1993 crash that killed Gov. George Mickelson and seven others. The Joint Committee on Appropriations took up Senate Bill 69, which would appropriate $5 million from the general fund to the Department of Public Safety for the purchase of a used turbine-powered airplane and mission equipment for the Division of Highway Patrol. The committee deferred action to a later date. Col. Casey Collins, superintendent of the South Dakota Highway Patrol, told lawmakers the current aircraft — a 2004 Cessna T206 acquired in 2007 — is at the end of its useful life. He said maintenance problems grounded the plane for 95 days in 2025. Critical parts for the piston engine are also backordered for as long as 22 months. “From my point of view, the concern is that when there’s a public safety crisis or a mission that needs flown in South Dakota, we need an asset that’s available, that’s reliable and safe, an asset that’s able to get to every corner of South Dakota as quick as possible and stay on scene as long as it takes to complete the mission. We don’t currently have that, and that’s why we’re here asking for your support,” Collins said. The $5 million, according to Collins, allocates $3 million to the aircraft and $2 million to law enforcement mission gear, featuring a $1.4 million thermal imaging camera. A new turbine-powered aircraft could carry twice the current payload, operate in icing conditions, fly at altitudes of 10,000 feet — versus the current 1,500 to 4,000 feet — and extend flight endurance from four to five hours up to 10 hours. The Highway Patrol flies about 80 missions per year as South Dakota’s only dedicated law enforcement aircraft, handling search and rescue, fugitive apprehension, dignitary protection, anti-drug surveillance and pursuit mitigation. Local agencies are never billed for its use. Kristi Turman, whose father David Hansen was a Highway Patrol trooper, one of the patrol’s first pilots and a Vietnam veteran, testified on behalf of herself and her family. On April 19, 1993, the state aircraft carrying Gov. Mickelson crashed near Zwingle, Iowa, and killed Hansen. Eight people died. Turman also serves as deputy secretary of the South Dakota Department of Public Safety but was speaking in her personal capacity. She drew a distinction between the 1993 crash, which was caused by a faulty propeller hub on the Mitsubishi aircraft, and the current situation. “The current Highway Patrol airplane doesn’t have a design flaw. It’s just getting old and is at the end of its useful life, especially for an aircraft that performs a demanding tactical flight style,” she said. She urged lawmakers not to wait for tragedy to strike. “I don’t want another South Dakota family to experience what my family has experienced for the past 33 years,” she said at (21:28). Her testimony drew a standing ovation from the committee. Rep. Jack Kolbeck, R-Sioux Falls, recalled hearing the news of the crash over his radio headset in 1993 while broadcasting live at a car race. Sen. Larry Zikmund, R-Sioux Falls, said he had been a staff member in the governor’s office at the time and had to announce the crash to 3,500 FFA students at a convention in Brookings. Pennington County Sheriff Brian Mueller and Sioux Falls Police Chief John Toombs testified online in support. Mueller said a multi-day armed fugitive manhunt in the Black Hills earlier this month highlighted the need for a higher-altitude, longer-endurance aircraft. Toombs said the patrol aircraft’s call sign, HP 500, immediately changes the behavior of reckless drivers in Sioux Falls. “When the HP 500, as we call it, as its call sign arrives overhead, we see an immediate demonstrated change in behavior from people who seek to do things and drive excessively and endanger our communities,” Thum said. Stacey Ackerman, executive director of the South Dakota Sheriffs Association, and Jenna Severin, lobbyist for the South Dakota Police Chiefs Association, also testified in support. No opponents testified. During committee questions, Sen. John Carley, R-Piedmont, confirmed with Collins that there is currently no safety issue with the existing aircraft, only mounting age and parts problems. Collins also confirmed that speed enforcement is not a main function of the plane and said he was scheduled to meet with the State Aeronautics Commission later Thursday. The chair of the Senate Committee introduced SB 69 on Appropriations at the request of the Department of Public Safety. The bill includes an emergency clause, meaning it would take effect immediately upon passage and approval. The committee deferred action and will consider the request as it assembles the FY2027 state budget. By Todd Epp | South Dakota Broadcasters Association. ...read more read less