A pilot employed by a commercial air parcel service is dispatched to Rapid City, South Dakota, to pick up a load of automotive parts and fly them to Detroit.
On arrival in Rapid City, company dispatch advises the pilot that the load has been delayed and should arrive at the airport in an hour and a half.
Without telling his employer, the pilot decides to kill some of the wait time by flying the company plane over nearby Mt. Rushmore National Monument, mounting his GoPro camera on the dash in hope of getting some spectacularly-dramatic video to post to YouTube and build on his growing reputation as a bold and daring aviator.
Flying close by the great stone faces of some of America's greatest presidents, he slightly misjudges his distance and his left wing contacts Lincoln's nose, then separates from the aircraft, which crashes into a gaggle of tourists in a viewing area below, killing 6, along with the pilot, injuring 18 more, and setting several vehicles on fire.
The video will prove very helpful to the NTSB, which will also learn through its investigation about the pilot's reputation as a risk-taker, and will also be admissible evidence in subsequent civil litigation.
Meticulously analyze the air parcel service's potential liability to the injured tourists.