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Highway Patrol says aging Cessna grounded too often; $5 million equipment request pending in legislature
Summary
Colonel Casey Collins told the Aeronautics Commission the patrol's 2004 Cessna 206 has become unreliable, recording 95 maintenance days in 2025; Collins testified a turbine platform, larger camera and updated avionics would improve mission readiness and that a funding request tied to Senate Bill 69 was deferred in joint appropriations.
Colonel Casey Collins, superintendent of the South Dakota Highway Patrol, told the Aeronautics Commission that the agency's only dedicated law-enforcement aircraft, a 2004 Cessna 206 acquired in 2007, failed to meet current mission needs and suffered excessive downtime.
"In 2025, we were down for 95 days, over a quarter of the year for maintenance-related items," Collins said, noting the airframe had about 1,544 hours and the engine about 1,304 hours. The patrol averages roughly 400 flight hours a year, he said, and faces long backorders for replacement parts.
Collins said the plane's limited payload and aging camera systems constrain operations: at one base the aircraft could carry only about 48 pounds of additional payload, and the current camera system is near end of life and fails frequently. He said the patrol is pursuing a turbine-powered aircraft platform to gain higher operating altitudes and larger payload capacity that would allow installation of an upgraded sensor suite.
The patrol provided a program-level cost estimate: roughly $3,000,000 for a suitable airframe, about $1,400,000 for a higher-capability camera, and approximately $450,000 for radio and mapping integration, bringing the total to an estimated $5,000,000 for aircraft plus mission equipment. Collins said the agency has not made a procurement decision because funding is not yet secured and parts availability remains uncertain.
Collins testified on a related measure, Senate Bill 69, before the joint appropriations committee; he said that committee deferred action on the bill. "We answered the questions that they had," he said, and the request remains "still alive" though deferred for further consideration.
Commissioners asked technical follow-ups about engine TBO (time between overhauls), service ceiling and crosswind capability compared with alternative airframes such as the Kodiak or Caravan. Collins said overhauls are commonly recommended between about 1,700 and 2,000 hours and that the department's aviation staff and outside contractors will provide more detailed data to the commission.
No formal procurement decision or appropriation was made at the meeting. Staff committed to follow up with commissioners and provide additional technical answers and cost breakdowns.
Next steps: the commission will receive follow-up technical information from DOT aviation staff and the Highway Patrol; the pending appropriation in the Legislature will determine whether the patrol can proceed with aircraft procurement and sensor integration.
