Cessna 182Q accident near Spearfish, South Dakota, October 18, 2020
On October 18, 2020 at about 5:00 pm local time, a 1979 Cessna 182Q, registered N97875, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi near Spearfish, South Dakota (Black Hills Airport-Clyde Ice). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The snowplow driver’s failure to see the airplane which resulted in a collision with the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 18, 2020 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Spearfish, South Dakota · Black Hills Airport-Clyde Ice · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182Q, built 1979 · all 182Qs on the register
- Registration
- N97875 · registry record · serial 18267237
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that the white airplane was on a taxiway and about 200 ft from the departure runway when it was struck from behind by an airport snowplow. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The pilot stated that before the taxi, he announced on the common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) that he was departing the ramp and taxing to runway 13. After the collision, the snowplow driver asked the pilot if he made any position reports on the CTAF to which the pilot said no. Investigators were not able to resolve the discrepancy in the statements between the pilot and the snowplow driver. The snowplow driver stated that it was difficult to see the airplane due to a lack of contrast with the surrounding snow-covered terrain.
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
- Airport occurrence during taxi defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Airport personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,450 hours in all; 1,200 in this make and model; 90 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 1,975 as pilot in command; 175 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 25, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental TCM O-470-U (piston); 407 hours total
The flight
- Destination: LVN Lakeville MN
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 900 ft
- Temperature: 23°F (-5°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.16 inHg
- Observation at 11:55 am from SPR
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN21LA022.