- Date
- September 17, 2026, 07:10 local (13:10 UTC)
- Place
- Karinen, SD
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3879ZPiper PA18
- Defining event
- Enroute: Unknown or undetermined
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Investigation ongoing
- Investigation class
- Class 3
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- Case key
- 203934
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Preliminary report
What NTSB knew early in the investigation. It may change in the final report.
On September 17, 2026, about 0710 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA18-150 airplane, N3879Z, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Karinen, South Dakota. The pilot was seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to preliminary information obtained by responding FAA inspectors, the airplane impacted a field between two water tanks that the pilot checked every morning via aerial observation. Due to injuries, the pilot has not been able to provide additional information, and the time of the accident was approximated. The closest aviation reporting site, located about 24 nautical miles to the northeast, and about the estimated time of the accident, reported visibility less than 1/4 mile with moderate fog and an overcast ceiling at 200 ft. The airplane was retained for further examination.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3879Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA18 (150)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-7677
- Built
- 1961
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 0.25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 200 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.28 inHg
- Observed at
- KBWW, 24 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KBWW 171315Z AUTO 11003KT M1/4SM FG OVC002 07/07 A3028 RMK AO2=