Cessna 140 accident near Lakeview, South Dakota, September 8, 2019
On September 8, 2019 at about 5:00 am local time, a 1946 Cessna 140, registered N73000, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Lakeview, South Dakota (Private Airstrip airport). It was an aerial observation flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane, which resulted in the exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle-of-attack, an aerodynamic stall, and subsequent impact with terrain, and the student pilot’s non-compliance and lack of experience.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 8, 2019 · about 5:00 am local time
- Place
- Lakeview, South Dakota · Private Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 140 Undesignat, built 1946 · all 140s on the register
- Registration
- N73000 · no longer on the register · serial 10205
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot was conducting a low-level aerial observation flight with his son to determine the level of water in towers on farms nearby. The time of the student pilot’s departure from his private airstrip and the time of the accident could not be determined. The amount of fuel in the airplane at takeoff was undetermined. After contact from concerned family members, law enforcement located the wreckage the next day about 825 ft from the approach end of the pilot's airstrip. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Airplane wreckage and impact signatures were consistent with the airplane being configured for landing. Propeller signatures indicated little or no rotation at the time of impact. The impact damage was consistent with a loss of control in flight, followed by the exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack and an aerodynamic stall. The reason for the loss of control in flight could not be determined. The student pilot was taught to fly by his grandfather. It is possible the student pilot was teaching his son to fly; however, it was undetermined if that was occurring during the accident flight. The pilot held a student pilot certificate and therefore was prohibited by regulation from carrying a passenger. Additionally, the student pilot's endorsement for flight operations was expired, and he did not hold an endorsement for the accident airplane make and model.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during enroute
- Loss of control in flight during enroute defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during enroute
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring equip/instruments › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Capability exceeded
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Qualification/certification › Student/instructed pilot
- Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Total experience › Student/instructed pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 40 hours in all; 20 in this make and model; 20 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 29, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,093.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 7, 2019; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,451 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental Motors C-85-12 (piston); 2,094 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: None Lakeview SD
- Destination: None Lakeview SD
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 050° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,200 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
21 documents, released by the NTSB on August 26, 2021. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.