Piper PA-28-181 accident near Wolsey, South Dakota, October 1, 1982
On October 1, 1982 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-181, registered N6553C, was destroyed in an accident near Wolsey, 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
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 1, 1982 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Wolsey, South Dakota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N6553C · no longer on the register · serial 28-7890382
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT HAD BEEN ISSUED AN INSTRUMENT RATING ON 8/6/82 AND HAD LOGGED 5.6 HRS SINCE THAT TIME. THE PILOT'S INSTRUCTOR BELIEVED THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN HIS FIRST LOW APPROACH IN ACTUAL INSTRUMENT CONDITIONS SINCE HE COMPLETED HIS CHECK FLIGHT. A WITNESS STATED THAT BEFORE TAKEOFF, THE PILOT APPEARED NERVOUS ABOUT HIS DEPARTURE AND IT APPEARED THAT HE NEEDED TO GET SOMEWHERE DESPITE THE WEATHER. AFTER RECEIVING A WEATHER BRIEFING, HE DEPARTED ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN WITH KNOWN RAIN, FOG AND LOW CEILINGS AT THE DESTINATION. DURING ARRIVAL THE PILOT WAS CLEARED FOR AN ILS APPROACH TO RUNWAY 12. AT ABOUT THE POSITION THAT HE WOULD BE INTERCEPTING A VOR ARC TO TRANSITION TO THE ILS, RADIO AND RADAR CONTACT WERE LOST. LATER THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND WHERE IT WOULD HAVE INTERCEPTED THE ARC IN A LEFT TURN. AT THAT POINT, IT HAD IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A NOSE LOW, LEFT WING LOW ATTITUDE. AN EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE AND FLIGHT CONTROLS REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE PRIOR TO GROUND IMPACT.
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: 432 hours in all; 430 in this make and model; 91 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 354 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,176 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 271 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RAP Rapid City SD at 12:48 pm
- Destination: HON Huron SD
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 12, 7,200 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 100 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 120°F (49°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:55 pm from HON, 3 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.
Other NTSB records under N6553C the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.