Piper PA-34-200 accident near Rapid City, South Dakota, June 7, 1995
On June 7, 1995 at about 5:45 am local time, a Piper PA-34-200, registered N55362, was substantially damaged in an accident near Rapid City, South Dakota. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to feather the propeller on the left engine during the descent. A factor was the carburetor icing weather condition.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 7, 1995 · about 5:45 am local time
- Place
- Rapid City, South Dakota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-34-200 · all PA-34-200s on the register
- Registration
- N55362 · no longer on the register · serial 34-7350205
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED HE WAS FLYING IN INTERMITTENT RAIN AT 10,000 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL. HE TURNED ON ALTERNATE AIR TO BOTH ENGINES AND NOTED THE OUTSIDE AIR TEMPERATURE GAUGE INDICATED 43 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. HE BEGAN LOSING RPM ON THE LEFT ENGINE. HE ELECTED NOT TO FEATHER THE PROPELLER BECAUSE HE BELIEVED HE WAS GETTING 'MINIMAL RPM PERFORMANCE.' DESCENDING THROUGH 8,000 FEET HE NOTED THE TEMPERATURE WAS 39 TO 40 DEGREES AND THE RIGHT ENGINE DROPPED 200-300 RPM. HE MADE AN OFF AIRPORT, FORCED LANDING WITH THE LANDING GEAR RETRACTED. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED FUEL WAS AVAILABLE ON THE AIRPLANE. THE LEFT ENGINE STARTED UNEVENTFULLY WHEN IT WAS TESTED AND PERFORMED NORMALLY UP TO A MANIFOLD PRESSURE OF 25 INCHES OF MERCURY.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,200 hours in all; 600 in this make and model; 160 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 2,800 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 2, 1995
- Maximum gross weight: 4,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GCK Garden City KS at 1:30 pm
- Destination: RAP SD
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 340° at 17 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 10,000 ft; scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 5:48 am from RAP, 15 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.