What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 17, 2018, about 1423 central daylight time, a Cessna 152 ii airplane, N24515, impacted
The Missouri river while maneuvering about one mile east of Fort Rice, north dakota. The left
Seat commercial pilot and sole occupant sustained fatal injuries. The airplane sustained
Substantial damage. The airplane was registered to arbach enterprises, inc., watertown, south
Dakota and was operated by the pilot under the provisions of title 14 code of federal
Regulations (CFR) part 91 as a visual flight rules commercial aerial photography flight. Visual
Meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan was filed.
The flight originated from the mandan municipal airport (Y19), mandan, north dakota about
1330.
Arbach enterprises, inc. leased the airplane to morning star air, LLC, watertown, on a per
Tachometer hour basis to conduct 14 CFR part 91 commercial aerial photography of farms and
Ranches. Morning star air, LLC leased the airplane and contracted aerial photographs with the
Pilot on a per photograph basis. The pilot was compensated per photograph taken. Morning
Star air, LLC worked in conjunction with morning star photography, inc., watertown to sell
Photographs of the farms and ranches to the individual property owner. Prior to the accident,
Arbach enterprises, inc. consisted of five high-wing single engine airplanes along with several
Pilots that contracted with the company for commercial aerial photography operations.
The purpose of the flight was for the pilot to conduct aerial photography of farms and ranches
In morton county, north dakota. The pilot conducted aerial photography operations using a
Handheld canon eos 6D digital camera with a canon ultrasonic ef lens (70-200 millimeter
Focal length with a 1:2.8 maximum aperture), with the left window of the high-wing airplane
Opened while referencing a kneeboard-based county map of the target areas. Each square on
The map is equivalent to one mile.
On July 16, the pilot landed at Y19 after conducting aerial photography operations and to refuel
The airplane. A mechanic who is based out of Y19, provided the pilot a ride to his hotel in
Mandan. The mechanic agreed to pick up the pilot on the morning of July 17, to transport him
To the airport for his flight activities that day. The mechanic sent the pilot a text message via
Cellular phone on July 17, about 0705 inquiring if he was ready and the pilot was picked up
About 0720. The pilot conducted the preflight of the airplane and reported to the mechanic that
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This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when
The final report has been completed.
He would return around lunch time and departed from the airport about 0845. About 1325, the
Mechanic and pilot refueled the airplane with about 19.5 gallons of fuel. The pilot departed for
The flight about 1330.
About 1442, the morton county sheriff's office received notification that a witness observed
The airplane located in the Missouri river. The airplane was discovered nose down at a 65
Degree angle, in about five feet of water, and about 75 feet to the west of a northwest to
Southwest running sandbar located in the middle of the river. The front of the airplane was
Found oriented about 190 degrees. At the time of the accident, the sandbar area was flooded.
The Missouri river, a freshwater river that flows from north to south in north dakota,
Originates in Montana and the mouth of the river is located in Missouri joining the Mississippi
River.
Photograph 1 - view of the airplane in the Missouri river (courtesy of the bismarck tribune).
On July 18, the airplane was recovered from the Missouri river and transported to a secure
Hangar at Y19. On July 19, the national transportation safety board (NTSB) investigator-incharge,
A federal aviation administration (FAA) aviation safety inspector from the fargo
Flight s
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 17, 2018, ABOUT 1423 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 152 II AIRPLANE, N24515, IMPACTED
THE MISSOURI RIVER WHILE MANEUVERING ABOUT ONE MILE EAST OF FORT RICE, NORTH DAKOTA. THE LEFT
SEAT COMMERCIAL PILOT AND SOLE OCCUPANT SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED
SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO ARBACH ENTERPRISES, INC., WATERTOWN, SOUTH
DAKOTA AND WAS OPERATED BY THE PILOT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL
REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91 AS A VISUAL FLIGHT RULES COMMERCIAL AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY FLIGHT. VISUAL
METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED.
THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM THE MANDAN MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (Y19), MANDAN, NORTH DAKOTA ABOUT
1330.
ARBACH ENTERPRISES, INC. LEASED THE AIRPLANE TO MORNING STAR AIR, LLC, WATERTOWN, ON A PER
TACHOMETER HOUR BASIS TO CONDUCT 14 CFR PART 91 COMMERCIAL AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY OF FARMS AND
RANCHES. MORNING STAR AIR, LLC LEASED THE AIRPLANE AND CONTRACTED AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHS WITH THE
PILOT ON A PER PHOTOGRAPH BASIS. THE PILOT WAS COMPENSATED PER PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN. MORNING
STAR AIR, LLC WORKED IN CONJUNCTION WITH MORNING STAR PHOTOGRAPHY, INC., WATERTOWN TO SELL
PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE FARMS AND RANCHES TO THE INDIVIDUAL PROPERTY OWNER. PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT,
ARBACH ENTERPRISES, INC. CONSISTED OF FIVE HIGH-WING SINGLE ENGINE AIRPLANES ALONG WITH SEVERAL
PILOTS THAT CONTRACTED WITH THE COMPANY FOR COMMERCIAL AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY OPERATIONS.
THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS FOR THE PILOT TO CONDUCT AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY OF FARMS AND RANCHES
IN MORTON COUNTY, NORTH DAKOTA. THE PILOT CONDUCTED AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY OPERATIONS USING A
HANDHELD CANON EOS 6D DIGITAL CAMERA WITH A CANON ULTRASONIC EF LENS (70-200 MILLIMETER
FOCAL LENGTH WITH A 1:2.8 MAXIMUM APERTURE), WITH THE LEFT WINDOW OF THE HIGH-WING AIRPLANE
OPENED WHILE REFERENCING A KNEEBOARD-BASED COUNTY MAP OF THE TARGET AREAS. EACH SQUARE ON
THE MAP IS EQUIVALENT TO ONE MILE.
ON JULY 16, THE PILOT LANDED AT Y19 AFTER CONDUCTING AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY OPERATIONS AND TO REFUEL
THE AIRPLANE. A MECHANIC WHO IS BASED OUT OF Y19, PROVIDED THE PILOT A RIDE TO HIS HOTEL IN
MANDAN. THE MECHANIC AGREED TO PICK UP THE PILOT ON THE MORNING OF JULY 17, TO TRANSPORT HIM
TO THE AIRPORT FOR HIS FLIGHT ACTIVITIES THAT DAY. THE MECHANIC SENT THE PILOT A TEXT MESSAGE VIA
CELLULAR PHONE ON JULY 17, ABOUT 0705 INQUIRING IF HE WAS READY AND THE PILOT WAS PICKED UP
ABOUT 0720. THE PILOT CONDUCTED THE PREFLIGHT OF THE AIRPLANE AND REPORTED TO THE MECHANIC THAT
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THIS IS PRELIMINARY INFORMATION, SUBJECT TO CHANGE, AND MAY CONTAIN ERRORS. ANY ERRORS IN THIS REPORT WILL BE CORRECTED WHEN
THE FINAL REPORT HAS BEEN COMPLETED.
HE WOULD RETURN AROUND LUNCH TIME AND DEPARTED FROM THE AIRPORT ABOUT 0845. ABOUT 1325, THE
MECHANIC AND PILOT REFUELED THE AIRPLANE WITH ABOUT 19.5 GALLONS OF FUEL. THE PILOT DEPARTED FOR
THE FLIGHT ABOUT 1330.
ABOUT 1442, THE MORTON COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE RECEIVED NOTIFICATION THAT A WITNESS OBSERVED
THE AIRPLANE LOCATED IN THE MISSOURI RIVER. THE AIRPLANE WAS DISCOVERED NOSE DOWN AT A 65
DEGREE ANGLE, IN ABOUT FIVE FEET OF WATER, AND ABOUT 75 FEET TO THE WEST OF A NORTHWEST TO
SOUTHWEST RUNNING SANDBAR LOCATED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RIVER. THE FRONT OF THE AIRPLANE WAS
FOUND ORIENTED ABOUT 190 DEGREES. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, THE SANDBAR AREA WAS FLOODED.
THE MISSOURI RIVER, A FRESHWATER RIVER THAT FLOWS FROM NORTH TO SOUTH IN NORTH DAKOTA,
ORIGINATES IN MONTANA AND THE MOUTH OF THE RIVER IS LOCATED IN MISSOURI JOINING THE MISSISSIPPI
RIVER.
PHOTOGRAPH 1 - VIEW OF THE AIRPLANE IN THE MISSOURI RIVER (COURTESY OF THE BISMARCK TRIBUNE).
ON JULY 18, THE AIRPLANE WAS RECOVERED FROM THE MISSOURI RIVER AND TRANSPORTED TO A SECURE
HANGAR AT Y19. ON JULY 19, THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD (NTSB) INVESTIGATOR-INCHARGE,
A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTOR FROM THE FARGO
FLIGHT S
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N24515 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.