Pilot Killed in Crash Near Moorhead Airport Well Thought of by Aviation Community

Colleage and friend of Mark Yaggie remembers what kind of person he was

MOORHEAD, Minn. — Mark Yaggie, 41-years-old, died in an airplane crash near the Moorhead Airport Sunday night.

“You hope that it was somebody other than a friend or a colleague,” said Paul Bernabucci, who is vice chairman of the Fargo Air Museum.

According to the FAA, Yaggie, who is from Breckenridge, was trying to land at the Moorhead Airport when his plane, a North American T-28 vintage military trainer, crashed in a field south of I-94.

Authorities say they don’t know why the crash happened but their investigation is ongoing.

“We were passing the airport and saw all of the activity out in the field,” said Bernabucci. “It was obvious there had been a plane crash.”

Bernabucci said Yaggie has been a board member for the Fargo Air Museum for the past three years.

He said this is a loss that will affect the entire community.

“Mark was well thought of by the aviation community in general,” said Bernabucci.

Yaggie was a veteran pilot who worked as a crop sprayer.

“As a crop sprayer, he was doing a lot of flying,” explained Bernabucci. “That’s where he was a highly experienced pilot. He was a mentor to many.”

Bernabucci said he has lost many friends to plane crashes.

“The aviation world has become a great great passion for many of us,” he said. “By nature, it’s a very unforgiving endeavor.”

The NTSB has taken over the investigation and trying to find a cause of the crash.