Piper PA-22-108 accident near Spearfish, South Dakota, July 1, 1998
On July 1, 1998 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-22-108, registered N5181Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Spearfish, South Dakota. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilots improper preflight planning, which failed to detect the fuel selector positioned on the left fuel tank, which had insufficient fuel, resulting in fuel starvation, and the loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 1, 1998 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Spearfish, South Dakota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22-108 · all PA-22-108s on the register
- Registration
- N5181Z · no longer on the register · serial 22-8848
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane suffered a partial loss of engine power. The pilot conducted a forced landing; however, impacted trees and the terrain during the descent. The pilot told a physician that the airplane suffered a loss of about 70% power and later told his attorney that the airplane suffered fuel exhaustion. An examination of the airplane subsequent to the accident revealed no mechanical anomalies other than those associated with impact. Emergency responders and Federal Aviation Administration inspectors were on site within two hours of the accident. They did not find any fuel leaking from the airplane and did not smell fuel. An examination of the left fuel tank found only unusable fuel. The fuel selector was found positioned to the left fuel tank.
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: 600 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290-D2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SPF SD at 3:30 pm
- Destination: CYS Cheyenne WY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 9,500 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:55 pm from RAP, 38 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
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.