- Date
- August 21, 1983, 14:34 local (20:34 UTC)
- Place
- Box Elder, SD
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 3 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8422UPiper PA-28-181
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830821043309A
- Case key
- 16021
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
Before reaching his destination, the plt contacted apch control & reported that he was about 40 mi away & was low on fuel. About 10 min later, the acft ran out of fuel. The plt stated that he 'could possibly make ellsworth' but the controller told him that ellsworth afb was closed (for an airshow). The plt then turned away from the afb & subsequently crashed while attempting to land in a field. Initial impact was with a tree. The acft then crashed to the ground & came to rest in a creek. The plt's wife suffered a broken leg & was unconscious for 5 days. She nearly drowned after the plane crashed, but the plt & another person held her head out of water until she could be extricated from the wreckage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8422U
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-181
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-8190297
- Airframe hours
- 846
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- James Anthony Rieganek
- Registered owner
- Donald P. & Evelyn F. Huckeby
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 29, 1983 · 33 hours before
- Departed
- LXL · Little Falls, MN
- Destination
- RAP · Rapid City, SD
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 34
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 82 total · 21 in this make and model · 336 as pilot in command · 17 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 35 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- RAP, 4 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.