Piper PA-28-180 accident near Sturgis, South Dakota, August 10, 1990
On August 10, 1990 at about 1:35 am local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N15803, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sturgis, South Dakota (Sturgis airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
POOR PLANNING/DECISION, FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS AND OVER CONFIDENCE IN PERSONAL ABILITY BY THE PIC. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE THUNDERSTORMS, TURBULENCE AND UNFAVORABLE WIND.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 10, 1990 · about 1:35 am local time
- Place
- Sturgis, South Dakota · Sturgis · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N15803 · no longer on the register · serial 287305147
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE ATTEMPTING A TAKEOFF, WITH APPROACHING THUNDERSTORMS AND RELATED UNSTABLE WX ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS, ACFT CONTROL WAS LOST AND THE ACFT WAS BLOWN INTO AN ADJACENT FIELD, RESULTING IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, AND POST ACCIDENT FIRE. PRIOR TO TAKEOFF, THE PLT WAS WARNED OF POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES IN ATTEMPTING A TAKEOFF AT THAT TIME BY AIRPORT WITNESSES.
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: 225 hours in all; 14 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 193 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Aero World
The flight
- Destination: HON Huron SD
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 11, 3,650 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.