Cessna 172M accident near Sturgis, SD
On November 11, 2011, a Cessna 172M (airplane) was involved in an accident near Sturgis, SD. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- November 11, 2011
- Place
- Sturgis, SD
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 44.418°N, 103.375°W
- NTSB ID
- 20111111X31005
Official records · CEN12LA059
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- Miscellaneous - Communication Summary: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On November 11, 2011, about 0905 mountain standard time, N13584, a Cessna 172M, operated by Bear Butte Flying Club, piloted by a student pilot, sustained substantial damage on impact with terrain following a loss of control during climbout from runway 29 (5,100 feet by 60 feet, dry/concrete) at the Sturgis Municipal Airport (49B), near Sturgis, South Dakota. The instructional flight was operating under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan was on file. The pilot sustained fatal injuries. The local flight originated from 49B about 0800 and was taking off at the time of the accident. The student pilot’s certified flight instructor (CFI) stated that during the student pilot’s second solo landing, the airplane was stopped on the runway and the airplane’s flaps were not raised before the next takeoff. The airplane was observed after takeoff to rotate up to 60 degrees pitch up. According to the CFI, the airplane’s engine sounded like it was developing full power. The airplane was observed in a half-turn spin prior to when it impacted terrain vertically. PERSONNEL INFORMATION The pilot held a student pilot certificate. He held a Third Class Medical Certificate dated September 29, 2011. A limitation on his medical certificate indicated that he must wear corrective lenses to exercise the rights of his certificate. His logbook endorsements indicated that he had accumulated 9.6 hours of total flight time of which 0.4 hours of flight time was as pilot-in-command. AIRCRAFT INFORMAT
Probable cause
The student pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane during takeoff with extended flaps.
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 · Cessna 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.