- Date
- June 1, 1991, 01:00 local (06:00 UTC)
- Place
- Bismarck, ND
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Unknown
- Aircraft
- N5478KCessna 172P
- Weather
- Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report March 9, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910601018489A
- Case key
- 14870
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
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.
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 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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5478K
- Reported as
- Cessna 172P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17274144
- Airframe hours
- 4,193
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-DJ2, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Flight Training, Ltd.
- Registered owner
- Cliff Hamilton, Jr.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 15, 1991 · 34 hours before
- Departed
- BIS · Bismark, ND
- Destination
- FAR · Fargo, 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
- 26
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 70 total · 10 in this make and model · 30 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Night/dark
- Wind
- 300° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BIS, 8 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.