Swearingen SA-227-AC accident near Williston, North Dakota, April 7, 1985
On April 7, 1985 at about 8:50 pm local time, a Swearingen SA-227-AC, registered N3005J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Williston, North Dakota (Sloulin Field Int'L). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 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
- April 7, 1985 · about 8:50 pm local time
- Place
- Williston, North Dakota · Sloulin Field Int'L · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Swearingen SA-227-AC · all SA-227-ACs on the register
- Registration
- N3005J · registry record · serial AC-442
- 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
THE FLT CREW STATED AFTER THE ACCIDENT THAT THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL FROM RAP TO INS. THE FIRST OFFICER WAS FLYING THE ACFT WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. ACCORDING TO THE FLT CREW ALL CHECKLIST ITEMS HAD BEEN PERFORMED PRIOR TO THE LANDING. THE ACFT MADE GND CONTACT WITH THE LANDING GEAR IN THE /UP' POSITION. THE CPT TOOK CONTROLL AND EXECUTED A GO-AROUND. THE LANDING GEAR WAS LOWERED MANUALLY AND THE RT ENG SHUTDOWN FOLLOWED BY AN UNEVENTFUL LANDING. THREE WITNESSES STATED THAT THE LANDING GEAR WAS IN THE UP POSITION THROUGHOUT THE APPROACH AND LANDING PHASES. NO EVIDENCE OF A MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE WAS FOUND WITH LANDING GEAR COMPONENTS OR SYSTEM.
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, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,000 hours in all; 2,000 in this make and model; 2,900 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme
- Maximum gross weight: 14,600 lb
- Seats: 19
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Garrett TPE-331 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Pioneer Airlines, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: RAP Rapid City SD
- Destination: ISN
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 11, 6,000 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 21 knots, gusting 26
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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 N3005J 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.