Cessna 340A accident near Mission, South Dakota, August 23, 2000
On August 23, 2000 at about 7:07 am local time, a Cessna 340A, registered N34DD, was destroyed in an accident near Mission, South Dakota (Mission Sioux airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the aircraft control not maintained by the pilot. A contributing factor was pilot fatigue.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 23, 2000 · about 7:07 am local time
- Place
- Mission, South Dakota · Mission Sioux · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 340A · all 340As on the register
- Registration
- N34DD · no longer on the register · serial 340A-0308
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The corporate airplane was destroyed on impact with rolling terrain and fire 1.3 nm northeast of the Mission Sioux Airport (0V6), Mission, South Dakota. The flight was en route to the Rapid City Regional Airport, Rapid City, South Dakota, which was located 114 nm on a magnetic bearing 284 degrees from 0V6. The 290 foot long wreckage path was oriented on a magnetic heading of 290 degrees. Night meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. A witness and communications with the airplane/pilot indicate that the pilot had a continuous duty time of approximately 21 hours that began at least at 0414 mountain daylight time on the day prior to the date of the accident. The wreckage was distributed along 230 feet with propeller slash marks at the beginning of the wreckage path. Both propellers displayed twisting. Postaccident component examination revealed a preexisting crack in the right turbocharger's exhaust but no indication of melting of the fuel lines in the adjacent area. No other system anomalies were noted.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,022 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,819 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 24, 2000; 129 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,390 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-KCNB (piston); 0 hours total
- Not recorded
The flight
- Departed from: 0V6
- Destination: RAP Rapid City SD
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0, 3,200 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: not reported
- Wind: from 070° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 145°F (63°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:52 am from VTN, 28 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.