Piper PA-24-250 accident near Mcintosh, South Dakota, December 22, 1993
On December 22, 1993 at about 2:30 am local time, a Piper PA-24-250, registered N8003P, was destroyed in an accident near Mcintosh, South Dakota. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
was continued VFR flight into IMC and the failure to maintain clearance with the terrain. Factors associated with this accident were an inaccurate weather evaluation by the pilot, snow and the rising terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 22, 1993 · about 2:30 am local time
- Place
- Mcintosh, South Dakota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-250 · all PA-24-250s on the register
- Registration
- N8003P · registry record · serial 24-3243
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT OBTAINED FOUR WEATHER BRIEFINGS PRIOR TO DEPARTING ON A NIGHT CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT. THE FSS BRIEFER TOLD THE PILOT VFR FLIGHT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED DUE TO A FAST MOVING COLD FRONT WITH SNOW AND LOW CEILINGS WHICH WAS APPROACHING THE PILOT'S DESTINATION. DURING THE FIRST UPDATE, THE PILOT WAS TOLD THAT THERE WERE NO FLIGHT PRECAUTIONS FOR HIS ROUTE, BUT THE FORECAST ADVISED OF LIGHT SNOW AND FOUR MILES VISIBILITY. DURING A SECOND BRIEFING THE PILOT WAS ADVISED THAT A SATELLITE SHOWED A '... PULSE OF MOISTURE ...' WAS WEST OF HIS COURSE. THE PILOT LATER TOLD ATC HE WAS DESCENDING FROM HIS PRESENT ALTITUDE BECAUSE HE WAS IN SNOW SHOWERS AND WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY SEEING THE GROUND. THE PILOT DID NOT RESPOND TO ATC'S RADIO CALL. THE PILOT'S LOGBOOK SHOWED A TOTAL OF .4 HOUR OF INSTRUMENT FLIGHT TIME OBTAINED APPROXIMATELY TWO YEARS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT.
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: 489 hours in all; 175 in this make and model; 66 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 441 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 15, 1993
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-C1B5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 00V CO. Springs CO at 10:40 pm
- Destination: MOT Minot ND
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 250° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,800 ft; scat at 1,900 ft
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:52 am from PIR, 85 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.