Beech 35 accident near White Owl, South Dakota, August 16, 2020
On August 16, 2020 at about 2:00 am local time, a 1979 Beech 35, registered N6643Y, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near White Owl, South Dakota (Private Airstrip airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the takeoff, which resulted in a runway excursion and subsequent impact with an obstacle and terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 16, 2020 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- White Owl, South Dakota · Private Airstrip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 35 V35B, built 1979 · all 35s on the register
- Registration
- N6643Y · no longer on the register · serial D-10264
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he was taking off from a private dry grass airstrip that was slightly uphill and into a slight wind. As the airplane accelerated, the pilot had "increasing trouble keeping the airplane from going left." The airplane departed the airstrip to the left and collided with terrain and hay bales. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Loss of control on ground during takeoff defining event
- Runway excursion during takeoff
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 447 hours in all; 377 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 26 in the last 30 days; 447 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 17, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,361.7 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 7, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental Motors IO-520-BB (piston); 1,717 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: None White Owl SD at 2:00 am
- Destination: Y14 Tea SD
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 2,600 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 030° at 6 knots
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.19 inHg
- Observation at 1:56 am from KD07, 30 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on October 9, 2020. 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.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photographs | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
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.