- Date
- November 7, 2002, 20:00 local (Nov 8, 2002, 02:00 UTC)
- Place
- New Town, ND
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N2995VCessna 150M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed · report May 13, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA - Fargo FSDO
- Case key
- 56059
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain terrain clearance and his inadequate in-flight planning/decision. Contributing factors are the pilot becoming lost/disoriented and night conditions.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The airplane contacted rising terrain during an off airport go-around. The pilot reported that he was following Highway 83 to Minot. He stated that once he passed Bismarck, he noticed he was getting low on fuel so he attempted to contact Bismarck Air Traffic Control to land, to no avail. He reported that he again began to follow the highway, but it was dark, and the highway disappeared in the darkness because there were no vehicles on it. The pilot then decided to land at Garrison, North Dakota, for fuel. He reported that upon approaching Garrison, he saw ground lights which he mistook was being the airport. While on final approach, he discovered that the lights were actually a trailer court. He applied power to go-around and airplane contacted a hill in front of it. The pilot reported that he did not see the hill due to the darkness and the lack of horizon. The accident site was approximately 45 nautical miles northwest of Garrison, North Dakota.
Factual narrative
On November 7, 2002, at 2000 central standard time, a Cessna 150M, N2995V, collided with terrain during an attempted off airport go-around, 3 miles west of New Town, North Dakota. The pilot received minor injuries. The airplane was substantially damaged. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The last leg of the cross country flight originated in Hot Springs, South Dakota, at 1715 with the intended destination of Minot, North Dakota.
The pilot reported that he was following Highway 83 to Minot. He stated that once he passed Bismarck, he noticed he was getting low on fuel so he attempted to contact Bismarck Air Traffic Control to land, to no avail. He reported he again began to follow the highway, but it was dark, and the highway disappeared in the darkness because there were no vehicles on it. The pilot then decided to land at Garrison, North Dakota, for fuel. He reported that upon approaching Garrison, he saw ground lights, which he mistook was being the airport. While on final approach, he discovered that the lights were actually a trailer court. He applied power to go-around, and the airplane contacted a hill in front of it. The pilot reported that he did not see the hill due to the darkness and the lack of horizon.
The accident site was approximately 45 nautical miles northwest of Garrison, North Dakota.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2995V
- Reported as
- Cessna 150M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15076345
- Airframe hours
- 14,600
- Engine
- Continental O-200, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Raymond H. Buell
- Registered owner
- Jassen Bowman
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 30, 2002
- Departed
- HSR · Hot Springs, CO
- Destination
- MOT · Minot, ND
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 77
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- February 7, 2002
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,822 total · 251 in this make and model · 1,722 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 220° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 34 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.75 inHg
- Observed at
- ISN, 47 nm away