Piper PA-44-180 accident near Rapid City, SD
On October 3, 2000, a Piper PA-44-180 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Rapid City, SD. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- October 3, 2000
- Place
- Rapid City, SD
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-44-180 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 44.000°N, 103.039°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001212X22111
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On October 2, 2000, at 1933 mountain daylight time (mdt), a Piper PA-44-180, N294ND, owned and operated by the University of North Dakota and piloted by a commercial pilot, was destroyed during an in-flight collision with runway 32 (8,701 feet by 150 feet, dry/concrete) at the Rapid City Regional Airport, Rapid City, South Dakota. There was a post-impact explosion and fire. The airplane had been conducting touch and go operations on runway 32 prior to the accident. Visual metrological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 without a flight plan. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant on the airplane, sustained fatal injuries. The flight departed Custer State Park Airport (3V0), Fairburn, South Dakota, at an undetermined time. A witness observed the accident airplane land at 3V0 about 1800. The accident pilot told the witness that he had flown from Nebraska and was thinking about flying to Denver that evening. After a few minutes of conversation, the accident pilot stated to the witness that he was thinking about flying by Mount Rushmore and wanted to know if there were any flight restrictions over the monument. The witness told the accident pilot that there were altitude restrictions over the monument and discussed specific details on how to depart from the 3V0. The witness stated that the accident airplane and pilot were still at 3V0 when he departed after 1830. According to a transcript of Air Traffic Control (ATC) communications between the accident airplane (N294ND) an
Probable cause
Suicide
More accidents in SD
- Beech 1900, Jan 29, 2025
- Pilatus PC12, Nov 30, 2019
- Hughes 369HS, Jul 6, 1985
- Piper PA 32R-300, Apr 28, 2014
- Cessna 421C, Dec 9, 2011
Browse: South Dakota · Piper 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.
