# Incident 20260220001379I: Piper PA-46-310P, Spearfish, SD, February 20, 2026

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 20, 2026, 10:30 local time
- Place: Spearfish, SD
- Airport: Black Hills-Clyde Ice Field
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Rollout
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 44.4811° N, 103.7860° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at BLACK HILLS-CLYDE ICE FLD (SPF), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.4811&lon=-103.7860&mi=10
- Aircraft: N25120, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N25120) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-46-310P (registry code 7104605, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-46-310p) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental TSIO-520 series (registry code 17040, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-tsio-520-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-46-310P
- Reported engine: CONT MOTOR TSIO-520 SER
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport, commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot, student
- Pilot flight hours: 2,500 total
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20260220001379I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

THE PILOT OF THE INCIDENT AIRPLANE DEPARTED KBDH AT APPROX. 0830 LOCAL TIME ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN. HE WAS CLEARED DIRECT TO KSPF. THE PILOT WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT ON THE AIRPLANE. THE PILOT CLIMBED TO 16,000 FEET AND STATED THE FLIGHT WAS NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY. ABOUT 50 MILES FROM KSPF HE WAS TURNED OVER TO ELLSWORTH APPROACH. HE THEN REQUESTED THE RNAV 31 APPROACH VIA WIMBO IAF.  THE WEATHER WAS CLEAR WITH GOOD VISABILITY, LIGHT AND VARIABLE WINDS. RUNWAY FICON WAS STATED AS 5-5-5 AND 100% 1/8" DRY SNOW. THE PILOT ELECTED TO USE THE INSTRUMENT APPROACH DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF THE HIGHER TERRAIN AT THIS AIRPORT. THE MOST RECENT METAR STATED 3 KTS OF WIND AND EQUATED TO A 2 KT TAILWIND FOR LANDING ON RUNWAY 31. RUNWAY 31 WAS SELECTED FOR THE UPSLOPE AND WOULD MAKE THE LANDING ROLL SHORTER. THE APPROACH WAS DETERMINED TO BE STABLE BY 500' AGL AND DECIDED TO CONTINUE THE APPROACH.  THE PILOT CARRIED 85 KTS INTO THE LANDING FLARE USING 20 DEGREES OF FLAPS. HE ALSO NOTED HE HAD 3 GREEN LIGHTS INDICATING THE LANDING GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED.  THE RUNWAY MARKINGS WERE OBSCURED BY SNOW HOWEVER, LANDED ON OR VERY NEAR THE CENTER LINE. HE TOUCHED DOWN FIRST ON THE MAIN LANDING GEAR AND THEN THE NOSE GEAR TOUCHED DOWN, THE NOSE VEERED SLIGHTLY LEFT. HE ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT THIS WITH RIGHT RUDDER. THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO FISHTAIL AND CONTINUED TO TRY TO CORRECT WITH RUDDER. AFTER A COUPLE OF ATTEMPTS TO CORRECT, HE ATTEMPTED TO INITIATE A GO AROUND. AT THAT TIME THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR CAUGHT THE EDGE OF THE SNOW ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY WHICH CAUSED THE AIRPLANE TO TURN TO THE RIGHT AND EXIT THE RUNWAY INTO THE SNOW. THE SNOW CAUSED THE NOSE GEAR TO COLLAPSE WHICH CAUSED A PROP STRIKE. HE WAS NOT INJURED IN ANY WAY AND WAS ABLE TO WALK AWAY FROM THE AIRPLANE.

## Other reports on N25120 (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 20030109005979I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030109005979I), Jan 9, 2003: Piper PA46310P (N25120), Rockford, IL, Minor damage. (-23) After touchdown in windy conditions, the aircraft veered hard right and departed the runway. The left main gear subsequently broke off, causing the left…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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