Amateur-built MX-II accident near Watertown, South Dakota, October 22, 1982
On October 22, 1982 at about 7:00 pm local time, a amateur-built MX-II, registered N3133L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Watertown, South Dakota (Watertown Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 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
- October 22, 1982 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Watertown, South Dakota · Watertown Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built MX-II
- Registration
- N3133L · registry record · serial MX-II-001
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE ON ROLLOUT A GUST OF WIND CAUGHT THE AIRCRAFT'S RIGHT WING AND CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO SWERVE TO THE LEFT. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO COMPENSATE BY APPLYING FULL POWER BUT THE AIRCRAFT TRAVELED LEFT, OUT OF CONTROL AND COLLIDED WITH A ROW OF "T" HANGARS.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 639 hours in all; 30 in this make and model; 117 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 540 as pilot in command; 12 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 30 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 580 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cuyuna 430 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ATY Watertown SD at 1:10 pm
- Destination: ATY Watertown SD
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 12, 6,901 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 131°F (55°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.
Other NTSB records under N3133L 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.