Piper PA28 accident near Salem, SD

On January 13, 2019, a Piper PA28 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Salem, SD. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.

Date

January 13, 2019

Place

Salem, SD

Aircraft

Piper PA28 · Airplane

Injuries

1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor

Damage

Substantial

Position

43.619°N, 97.381°W

NTSB ID

20190114X05720

Official records · CEN19LA053

• Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation

Air traffic control records

• Memorandum for Record – Communication Summary R. Gebel, MHE FBO Manager: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
• Memorandum for Record – Communication Summary L. Alexander -- No record of wx brief: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
• Memorandum for Record – Communication Summary -- RAP FBO: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
• Air Traffic Control - FAA Report of Accident: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
• Air Traffic Control - Transcript: Transcript (PDF), on ntsb.gov

NTSB summary

HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn January 13, 2019, about 1425 central standard time, a Piper PA-28-181 airplane, N75191, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain about 6 miles south of Salem, South Dakota. The private pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was owned and operated by the pilot as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed in the area and no flight plan was filed for the cross-country flight, which originated from Mitchell Municipal Airport (MHE), Mitchell, South Dakota, and was destined for Mary Skie-Lincoln County Airport (Y14), Tea, South Dakota. About 15 minutes after departing, the pilot contacted Sioux Falls Approach Control and stated that he was having chest pains, was blacking out, and was having difficulty maintaining control of the airplane. About 1411, radar track data indicated the airplane was traveling southeast. The airplane then maneuvered/circled for about 6 minutes, briefly headed northwest briefly and began maneuvering/circling again. The controller continued to communicate with the pilot for about 20 minutes before radio contact was lost about 1425; the track data ended about the same time, about 2 miles southwest of the accident site. The wreckage was subsequently located in a field about 30 nautical miles east-southeast of the departure airport. PERSONNEL INFORMATIONAccording to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records, the 69-year-old pilot held a private pilot certificate with airplane single-engine land and instrument ratings. The pilot's most recent third-class FA

Probable cause

The incapacitating effects of an acute myocardial infarction (heart attack), which resulted in the pilot's loss of airplane control and impact with terrain.

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Browse: South Dakota · Piper aircraft

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Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.