Cessna 175 accident near Hot Springs, South Dakota, November 10, 1993
On November 10, 1993 at about 2:00 am local time, a Cessna 175, registered N7112M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hot Springs, South Dakota (Hot Springs Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FAILURE OF THE PILOTS TO MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE TO ENSURE TERRAIN CLEARANCE. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE DARK NIGHT AND RISING TERRAIN.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 10, 1993 · about 2:00 am local time
- Place
- Hot Springs, South Dakota · Hot Springs Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 175 · all 175s on the register
- Registration
- N7112M · registry record · serial 55412
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE FLIGHT WAS A LOCAL INSTRUMENT PROFICIENCY FLIGHT. THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND WAS WEARING VISION RESTRICTING DEVICES. A SAFETY PILOT WAS IN THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT. THE PILOT HAD JUST COMPLETED 7 INSTRUMENT APPROACHES AT RAPID CITY AND WAS RETURNING TO HOT SPRINGS. A PILOT PREPARING TO TAKEOFF FROM HOT SPRINGS HEARD THE PILOT REPORT DOWNWIND FOR RUNWAY 1, BUT NEVER SAW THE AIRPLANE. THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH HILLY, UPWARD SLOPING TERRAIN 3 MI WEST OF THE AIRPORT. NO AIRCRAFT OR ENGINE MALFUNCTIONS WERE FOUND.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 601 hours in all; 22 in this make and model; 525 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,260 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 10, 1993; 45 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental GO-300-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 300° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 23,000 ft
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Observation at 3:51 am from RAP, 40 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 1 | ||
| Passengers | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CHI94LA034.