- Date
- August 9, 1990, 19:35 local (Aug 10, 1990, 01:35 UTC)
- Place
- Sturgis, SD
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N15803Piper PA-28-180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report October 2, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900809031789A
- Case key
- 14745
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Poor planning/decision, flight into known adverse weather conditions and over confidence in personal ability by the PIC. Contributing factors were thunderstorms, turbulence and unfavorable wind.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
While attempting a takeoff, with approaching thunderstorms and related unstable wx environmental conditions, acft control was lost and the acft was blown into an adjacent field, resulting in substantial damage, and post accident fire. Prior to takeoff, the plt was warned of possible consequences in attempting a takeoff at that time by airport witnesses.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N15803
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 287305147
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Aero World
- Destination
- HON · Huron, SD
- Airport
- 66D · Sturgis, runway 11, 3,650 × 50 ft, asphalt
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.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 30
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 225 total · 14 in this make and model · 193 as pilot in command · 11 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.