Beech F-33A accident near Prairie City, SD
On March 22, 1996, a Beech F-33A (airplane) was involved in an accident near Prairie City, SD. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- March 22, 1996
- Place
- Prairie City, SD
- Aircraft
- Beech F-33A · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 45.530°N, 102.800°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001208X05371
Official records · CHI96FA133
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- FAA FSS Pilot Briefing Transcript: Transcript (PDF), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On March 21, 1996, at 1840 mountain standard time (mst), a Beech F33A, N5563X, piloted by a private pilot, was destroyed when it collided with terrain. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was not operating on a flight plan. Local residents reported visual meteorological conditions at the time of the accident. The pilot was fatally injured. The flight departed Malta, Montana, at 1655 mst. The airplane was reported missing by the pilot's family at 0220 mst on March 21, 1996. The airplane was found at 1800 mountain daylight time on April 15, 1996. On March 21, 1996, at 1638 mst, the pilot contacted the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Flight Service Station (FSS) at Great Falls, Montana. After telling the FSS specialist (specialist) his route of flight the specialist said, "...can you go IFR if you have to?" The pilot replied, "Yeah, I'd rather not." The specialist told the pilot he'd be skirting an "...area that's forecast IFR due to fog... ." The pilot was told that Nebraska's panhandle would have rime icing in the clouds. The specialist advised the pilot to "...stay away from all that." The FSS specialist gave the pilot surface weather reports for his route of flight. The reporting stations along his route of flight showed ceilings between 1,500 feet overcast and clear at North Platte, Nebraska, his destination. During the weather brieifng the pilot said he should "...just pull... to the east a little bit... ." The specialist replied, "Ya, a little better if you head that way. Of course a lot can be going on between the different airports, but it's cer
Probable cause
the pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane. A factor was pilot fatigue.
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Browse: South Dakota · Beech aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
