Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Hazelton, North Dakota 58544
Friday, July 26, 1996 22:45 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
While en route to Bismarck from the southeast, the noninstrument-rated pilot contacted a Flight Watch station and obtained weather information. He was informed of thunderstorm activity, 30 miles east of Bismarck. He decided to continue the flight, thinking the thunderstorm activity would be to the north. Also, he was informed that the sky condition at Bismarck was 2,500' scattered and 3,500' broken. Since he was at 4,500', he noted that he would have to descend to a lower altitude. At about that time, the airplane entered a cloud, which the pilot thought was a momentary condition. He tried to fly through it, but moments later, the airplane experienced severe turbulence. The pilot reported that he struggled to control the aircraft and was trying to descend below the clouds, while maintaining a course to Bismarck. Subsequently, the airplane impacted a wheat field in a level attitude and skidded to a stop.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
inadvertent VFR flight by the noninstrument-rated pilot into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), and his failure to maintain altitude control of the airplane, which resulted in a collision with the terrain. Factors relating to the accident were: darkness, the adverse weather conditions, the pilot's lack of instrument experience, and spatial disorientation of the pilot.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/26/1996 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 2245 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | HAZELTON |
| Event State | NORTH DAKOTA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 58544 |
| Event Date Year | 1996 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1005 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 300 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | BIS |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1677 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 40 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 18 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 14 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 40 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 3 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 3 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 389 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 27 1996 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 159 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 10:11AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N5247M |
| NTSB Number | CHI96LA259 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Beech |
| Aircraft Model | C24R |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | C24R |
| Aircraft Serial Number | MC-563 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2758 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 15 1996 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 30 |
| Airframe Hours | 3320 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | P AND J LEASING |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 521 WEST 130TH |
| Aircraft Owner City | SHAKOPEE |
| Aircraft Owner State | MN |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 55379 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | FCM |
| Departure City | EDEN PRAIRIE |
| Departure State | MN |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 2010 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | D05 |
| Destination City | GARRISON |
| Destination State | ND |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Descent - uncontrolled |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |