Cessna 182P accident near Belle Fourche, South Dakota, December 4, 2004
On December 4, 2004 at about 2:10 am local time, a Cessna 182P, registered N21213, was substantially damaged in an accident near Belle Fourche, South Dakota (Belle Fourche Municipal Airpor airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions and his failure to maintain directional control. Contributing factors were the gusting crosswind, the pilot's lack of night flying of experience, the inoperative instrument lights, and the night conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 4, 2004 · about 2:10 am local time
- Place
- Belle Fourche, South Dakota · Belle Fourche Municipal Airpor · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182P · all 182Ps on the register
- Registration
- N21213 · registry record · serial 18261492
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane bounced and then veered off the eastern edge of the runway during landing following a visual approach to the airport. The airplane then impacted terrain and a cement culvert. Night visual meteorological conditions with a gusting crosswind prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot stated that the landing light ceased to operate during the approach, and he could not get the instrument panel lights to operate. The flashlight that a passenger used ceased to operate after the reported instrument panel light(s) ceased to operate. The pilot stated that after the airplane touched down, he rolled the yoke level and pulled back. A gust of wind "quickly" moved the airplane off the runway. Inspection of the airplane revealed the flaps were extended 30 degrees, and the rear passenger seats were not equipped with shoulder harnesses. Postaccident operation of the landing/instrument panel light(s), for about 30 seconds, noted that none of the instrument panel light(s) illuminated, the overhead light(s) illuminated, and the landing light illuminated. No circuit breakers tripped during this operation. The pilot had a total flight time of 69 hours, of which 22 hours were in the accident airplane. He did not have any night flying time in the accident airplane. The pilot's airman medical certificate had the following limitation: "not valid for night flight or by color signal control."
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 69 hours in all; 22 in this make and model; 69 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Aero Flight Training
The flight
- Departed from: FTG Denver CO
- Destination: EFC Belle Fourche SD
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 210° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.70 inHg
- Observation at 1:52 am from RAP, 49 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.