Accident Overview
On March 16, 2017, at approximately 1640 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 210B airplane (registration N9581X) crashed near Vig Limousin Ranch Airstrip (1SD4) in Opal, South Dakota. The single-engine airplane was destroyed, and the commercial pilot sustained fatal injuries. The flight was conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal cross-country trip. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan had been filed.
Flight Details
The airplane departed Rapid City Regional Airport (RAP) at 1606, destined for Faith Municipal Airport (D07), where it was normally stored. The flight followed its annual inspection at RAP. The route passed near 1SD4, which was adjacent to the pilot's ranch home. The wreckage came to rest approximately 275 yards from the departure end of runway 31 at 1SD4. No witnesses to the accident were identified.
Pilot Information
The 67-year-old pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with airplane single-engine land and instrument ratings. He was issued a second-class medical certificate on May 20, 2015, with a limitation to wear corrective lenses. At that examination, he reported 3,300 total flight hours, with 25 hours in the preceding 6 months. An insurance application dated November 1, 2016, indicated 3,950 total hours, including 1,350 hours in the accident aircraft make and model. Pilot logbooks were not available for review.
Aircraft Information
The Cessna 210B was equipped with a Continental IO-470S engine and a two-blade constant-speed McCauley propeller. Its last annual inspection was completed on March 1, 2017, at 5,002 total airframe hours and 932 hours since the last engine overhaul.
Meteorological Conditions
Automated weather observations at D07 (19 miles northeast) at 1656 reported wind from 360° at 16 knots, temperature 16°C, dew point 7°C, and altimeter 29.79 inHg. At Ellsworth Air Force Base (53 miles southwest) at 1649, wind was from 320° at 34 knots gusting to 40 knots, visibility 10 miles or more, light drizzle, and a broken ceiling at 11,000 feet agl. High-resolution rapid refresh model soundings for the accident location at 1700 indicated surface wind from the northwest at 14 knots, with potential for moderate low-level wind shear and clear air turbulence near the surface. Weather radar showed very light reflectivity targets over the area; no pilot reports were filed within an hour of the accident.
Wreckage and Impact
The accident site was in rolling ranchland. Initial impact occurred 275 yards beyond the departure end of runway 31, slightly right of the extended centerline. A debris path 175 feet long on a heading of 020° was observed. Ground scars matched the right wing tip and propeller; no obstacles were struck. The airplane came to rest upright with both wings separated. Both wing fuel tanks were compromised and empty. The landing gear and flaps were retracted. Flight control continuity was confirmed for rudder, elevator, and elevator trim; aileron cables were separated in tensile overload. The propeller blades showed scoring and leading-edge damage, with one blade bent rearward 90° and the other bent forward slightly. The engine rotated freely with normal compression and continuity; cylinder borescope and spark plugs were normal. The throttle and mixture controls were intact, with the throttle plate fully closed. Fuel system components were uncontaminated and functional. Examination revealed no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
Medical and Pathological Information
An autopsy attributed the pilot's death to blunt trauma injuries. The right coronary artery showed up to 80% narrowing, and the left anterior descending and left circumflex arteries had 40%–50% narrowing. A 2 x 1 x 1 cm area of fibrosis was found in the posterior left ventricle, consistent with a remote myocardial infarct. No acute changes were identified. Toxicology testing for ethanol, carbon monoxide, and drugs was negative.