Aviation Crash Map

Cessna 172P N5478K

1 June 1991 · Bismarck, North Dakota, United States · Fatal

Summary

On 1 June 1991 at about 06:00 local time, a Cessna 172P registered N5478K, operated by Flight Training, Ltd., was involved in an accident near Bismarck, North Dakota, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

The record

Date
at 06:00
Classification
Accident
Location
Bismarck, North Dakota, United States
Coordinates
Not recorded
Aircraft
Cessna 172P
Registration
N5478K
Category
Airplane
Engines
1
Operator
Flight Training, Ltd.
Operating rule
Part 91: General Aviation
Purpose of flight
Personal
Phase of flight
Not recorded
Route
Bismark → Fargo
Aircraft damage
Destroyed
Weather
Unk
Light
Night/Dark
NTSB number
CHI91DTG01

People

1 person died.

On board Died Serious Minor Uninjured
1 1 0 0 0

Probable cause

SPATIAL DISORIENTATION. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT ARE FAILURE TO OBTAIN A PREFLIGHT WEATHER BRIEF, VRF FLIGHT INTO IMC CONDITIONS AND LACK OF TOTAL EXPERIENCE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT HAD ONLY THREE HOURS OF NIGHT TIME AND DID NOT OBTAIN A PREFLIGHT WEATHER BRIEF. HE ELECTED TO TAKE OFF AT 0050 AND MAKE THE RETURN FLIGHT HOME IN ORDER TO MAKE A MILITARY RESERVE COMMITMENT. THE TEMPERATURE WAS 58 DEGREES F, DEW POINT 56 DEGREES F. THE PILOT TOLD A FRIEND AT THE AIRPORT THAT HE WAS GOING TO FOLLOW THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. THE WRECKAGE WAS FOUND THE FOLLOWING MORNING EIGHT MILES NORTHEAST OF THE AIRPORT, AND THREE QUARTERS OF A MILE NORTH OF THE INTERSTATE. A STATE TROOPER ON DUTY AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT REPORTED THAT FOG WAS FORMING AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, AND THAT THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS AN AREA WHERE FOG IS VERY COMMON.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.

Other Cessna 172 accidents

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
7 Apr 1991 Cessna 172P
N9671A
College Park, Maryland, United States Civil Air Patrol, Inc. No injuries -
25 Apr 1991 Cessna 172
N66717
Detroit, Michigan, United States
no coordinates
Eximous Flying Club, Inc. No injuries -
24 Jul 1991 Cessna 172N
N5352D
Napa, California, United States Bridgeford Flying SVC. No injuries -
9 Apr 1991 Cessna 172H
N3781F
Morehead, Kentucky, United States Roger Wend Minor injuries -
5 Apr 1991 Cessna 172A
N9852T
Hood River, Oregon, United States Paul J. Welp No injuries -
31 Mar 1991 Cessna 172M
N6852H
Ogden, Utah, United States Alta Aircraft No injuries -

All 12,209 records for this type

Other accidents in this area

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
14 May 1991 Piper PA-28R-201
N804ND
Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States University of North Dakota No injuries -
26 May 1991 Cessna 180
N115F
Devils Lake, North Dakota, United States Blosberg, John K. No injuries -
23 Dec 1991 Cessna 152
N757YK
Fargo, North Dakota, United States Flight Training, Ltd Minor injuries -
18 Jun 1991 Sikorsky H-19-UH19D
N6735
McClusky, North Dakota, United States Shawn B. Morten No injuries -
16 Jun 1991 Schweizer G164
N48687
Gwinner, North Dakota, United States Hoistad Flying Service, Inc. No injuries -
17 Jul 1991 Cessna T188C
N2093J
Walhalla, North Dakota, United States Hardy Avaition, Inc. No injuries -

All 170,864 records in United States