Piper PA-30/A accident near Hastings, Nebraska, December 24, 1997
On December 24, 1997 at about 5:00 am local time, a Piper PA-30/A, registered N9WG, was destroyed in an accident near Hastings, Nebraska (Hastings Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper IFR procedure, by which he failed to maintain minimum descent altitude. Fog, a low ceiling, and night condition were a contributing factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 24, 1997 · about 5:00 am local time
- Place
- Hastings, Nebraska · Hastings Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-30/A · all PA-30/As on the register
- Registration
- N9WG · no longer on the register · serial 30-1099
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight had originally departed from Nampa, Idaho, at 0830 mountain standard time (mst) with Mountain Home, Idaho, as a stopover airport, and Hastings, Nebraska, as the intended final destination airport. The pilot departed Cheyenne, Wyoming, about 1940 mst. At 2224 central standard time (cst), the pilot was briefed that the weather at Hastings indicated winds at 080 degrees at 4 knots, one quarter mile visibility, freezing fog, a few clouds at 100 feet, 4,200 foot overcast, temperature minus 2 degrees C, dew point minus 2 degrees C, and altimeter 29.87. At 2227, the pilot reported, 'Whiskey golf, we're gonna shoot an approach into Hastings, ah, if it's no good we'll, ah, do a missed and go somewhere else.' At 2250, the pilot reported, 'ah, Missed approach. I (want to) try it again.' The pilot received clearance to fly a second approach. At 2300 cst, the aircraft impacted an irrigation tower and wheel assembly that was located about 1/2 mile west of the airport. Both propellers indicated blade twist and chordwise scratching. The right seat passenger reported that the pilot had not indicated there was anything wrong with the airplane during the flight, she remembered that the pilot flew the second approach down to 2,300 feet or 2,350 feet on the altimeter and started to pull up on the airplane's yoke. The field elevation was 1,961 feet. The MDA was 2,360 feet. The altimeter was set at 29.84. During the flight, there had been no indications of altimeter error when the pilot was in contact with ATC.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,153 hours in all; 93 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 1,067 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,156 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 19, 1997; 31 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-320-C1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CYS Cheyenne WY at 4:44 am
- Destination: HSI
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 100° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 0.2 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 3,800 ft; ovct at 100 ft
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 am from HSI
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.