Piper PA 46-350P accident near Pierre, SD
On October 23, 2023, a Piper PA 46-350P (airplane) was involved in an accident near Pierre, SD. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- October 23, 2023
- Place
- Pierre, SD
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 46-350P · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 44.398°N, 100.372°W
- NTSB ID
- 20231024193291
Official records · CEN24LA020
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn October 23, 2023, at 1611 central daylight time, a Piper PA-46-350P airplane, N92884, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near Pierre, South Dakota. The pilot sustained serious injuries, and the passenger sustained fatal injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the pilot, before takeoff from the Pierre Regional Airport (PIR), Pierre, South Dakota, the airplane was fueled with 10 gallons of fuel for a total of 100 gallons on board for the planned flight to Steamboat Springs, Colorado. The pilot reported that before takeoff, the header fuel tank contained 11 gallons of fuel, fuel boost pump No. 1 was selected, the fuel transfer switch was in the AUTO position, and the fuel selector was in the right fuel tank position. No anomalies were noted during the engine start, takeoff, and initial climb. About 11,000 ft mean sea level (msl), air traffic control cleared the pilot to flight level 220. While climbing through 12,000 ft msl, the engine sustained an abrupt loss of power that was confirmed by the loss of torque and engine compressor turbine rpm (Ng) speed. The pilot noted no cockpit warning or abnormal indications before the loss of engine power. The pilot declared an emergency and then executed a 180° turn back to PIR (see Figure 1). Figure 1. Overhead view of the flight track. During the emergency descent, the pilot attempted to restart the engine by switching boost pumps, switching the fuel tank selector, and activating the emergency header tank pump,
Probable cause
The total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as a result of the pilot’s improper configuration of the automatic fuel transfer system. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to adequately monitor the header tank’s fuel quantity.
More accidents in SD
- Beech 1900, Jan 29, 2025
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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.
