Amateur-built Auriga FT accident near Aberdeen, South Dakota, July 27, 2003
On July 27, 2003 at about 9:15 pm local time, a amateur-built Auriga FT, registered N512EA, was destroyed in an accident near Aberdeen, South Dakota (Aberdeen Regional Airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power due to the lack of design fuel pressure for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 27, 2003 · about 9:15 pm local time
- Place
- Aberdeen, South Dakota · Aberdeen Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Auriga FT
- Registration
- N512EA · registry record · serial 001
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The experimental amateur-built airplane was destroyed when it impacted an airport terminal parking lot about 1,000 feet from the runway threshold and 600 feet from an interstate. The airplane was witnessed to have lost engine power after takeoff. The airplane operator's general manager stated that the airplane was modified to incorporate a turbine engine from a reciprocating engine. The only change made to the fuel system was to fuel selector having a both selection rather than an individual fuel tank selection. The manager also stated that the engine had problems the day before the accident in that it was not getting enough fuel pressure at higher altitudes. A download of nonvolatile memory aboard the airplane, indicated a fuel pressure below that of the electric driven boost pump in the fuel system and above that of the engine driven boost pump. The download also showed that the airplane's airspeed was below the aircraft stall speed(s) prior to an uncontrolled descent into 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
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,250 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: ABR Aberdeen SD at 9:15 pm
- Destination: OSH Oshkosh WI
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from ABR
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N512EA the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.