Swearingen SA-227AC accident near Gillette, Wyoming, December 21, 1982
On December 21, 1982 at about 3:15 am local time, a Swearingen SA-227AC, registered N2671V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Gillette, Wyoming (Gillette Campbelll County airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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
- December 21, 1982 · about 3:15 am local time
- Place
- Gillette, Wyoming · Gillette Campbelll County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Swearingen SA-227AC · all SA-227ACs on the register
- Registration
- N2671V · no longer on the register · serial AC-437
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WAS LOST IN THE EARLY STAGE OF THE TAKEOFF ROLL. THE ACFT DEPARTED THE RWY 400 FT DOWN THE RWY & TRAVELLED 85 FT OFF THE SIDE OF THE RWY. ONE RWY LIGHT WAS DESTROYED. THE ACFT HAD COME FROM THE FACTORY EQUIPPED WITH AN ANTI-SKID BRAKE SYSTEM. THE SYSTEM WAS REPLACED WITH A STANDARD BRAKING SYSTEM PRIOR TO THE ACFT'S FIRST PASSENGER FLT. DURING THIS PROCESS HYDRAULIC LINES ATTACHED TO THE PARKING BRAKE SHUTTLE VALVE UNDER THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AREA WERE INADVERTENTLY REVERSED, ALLOWING BRAKING ACTION TO TAKE PLACE ON THE OPPOSITE LANDING GEAR OF THE BRAKE PEDAL BEING DEPRESSED. THE FLT CREW WAS UNAWARE OF THIS CONDITION SINCE THEY HAD BEEN USING ASYMMETRICAL THRUST FOR DIRECTIONAL CONTROL UNTIL THIS TAKEOFF.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,752 hours in all; 900 in this make and model; 340 in the last 90 days; 152 in the last 30 days; 1,688 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 14,050 lb
- Seats: 21
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TPE331 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Pioneer Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: C Denver WY
- Destination: C Gillette WY
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 15, 6,500 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 210° at 20 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 99°F (37°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:00 pm from GCC
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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 N2671V 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.