- Date
- October 19, 1983, 22:36 local (Oct 20, 1983, 03:36 UTC)
- Place
- Pierre, SD
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N199CFConvair 340/440
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19831019073799A
- Case key
- 16174
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
After landing at Pierre, SD, 2070 lbs of cargo was off-loaded from the aft section of the aft & a new wt & balance was calculated. The aircrew then prepared to takeoff in conditions of low ceiling & fog. The plt-in-command (PIC) initiated the takeoff roll, then at about 80 KTS, the copilot assumed control as prebriefed. The takeoff was reported as normal until the flaps were retracted. At about that time, the copilot saw red lights ahead. He assumed the lights were on radio antenna towers & pulled back on the yoke while banking right to miss the objects. The red lights were actually on small structures (shed & lighting systems) at the north end of rwy 31. While taking evasive action, the right wing dug into the soft ground & the plane crashed. Witness said the acft was in a shallow climb after lift-off. One witness said it climbed to about 100 ft, then appear to lose alt. The elevator trim surfaces were found in the 1 to 2 deg up-trim position. According to procedures, the flaps should not have been retracted until above 400 ft AGL.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N199CF
- Reported as
- Convair 340/440
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 199
- Airframe hours
- 48,327
- Engine
- P&W R-2800, 2,400 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 121
- Registered owner
- Combs Airways Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- AAIP · October 17, 1983 · 10 hours before
- Destination
- BIS · Bismark, ND
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- PIR · Pierre Muni, runway 31, 6,898 × 150 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
- 32
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,570 total · 2,600 in this make and model · 4,800 as pilot in command · 200 in the last 90 days · 65 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 300° at 8 knots
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.