Wsk Pzl Mielec PZL M18B accident near Kyle, South Dakota, July 7, 2007
On July 7, 2007 at about 6:18 pm local time, a Wsk Pzl Mielec PZL M18B, registered N14067, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kyle, South Dakota. It was a public-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from terrain during an aerial application maneuver. Contributing to the accident were wind gusts, low altitude, and the reported downdraft.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 7, 2007 · about 6:18 pm local time
- Place
- Kyle, South Dakota
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Wsk Pzl Mielec PZL M18B
- Registration
- N14067 · no longer on the register · serial 1Z026-25
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The agricultural application airplane sustained substantial damage when it impacted terrain while maneuvering for a public use aerial application of fire retardant. The pilot stated that he was approaching a fire location from the northwest. He was crossing a "burnt area from west to east across gently rolling terrain." When he crossed a ridgeline, he encountered a downdraft and the airplane "wanted to settle." The pilot "pushed [the] nose over and released [the] load." The pilot stated that the airplane would not recover before impacting terrain. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane in reference to the flight. Gusty winds were present in the area at the time of the accident.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 9,000 hours in all; 1,500 in this make and model; 80 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 8,500 as pilot in command; 50 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,483 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 1, 2006
- Maximum gross weight: 11,700 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Wsk Pzl Kalis PZL ASZ-621R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RAP Rapid City SD at 5:37 pm
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 12 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 106°F (41°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.78 inHg
- Observation at 6:52 pm from RAP, 80 miles away
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.
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.