Cessna 401A accident near Minot, ND
On February 24, 1994, a Cessna 401A (airplane) was involved in an accident near Minot, ND. 4 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- February 24, 1994
- Place
- Minot, ND
- Aircraft
- Cessna 401A · Airplane
- Injuries
- 4 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 48.230°N, 101.289°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001206X00723
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On February 24, 1994, about 0949 central standard time (CST), a Cessna 401A airplane, N4071Q, registered to B & L Aviation, Rapid City, South Dakota, and operated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,Indian Health Service, a federal agency, sustained substantial damage when it crashed in instrument meteorological conditions during an instrument approach (ILS) to runway 31 at Minot International Airport, Minot, North Dakota. The airline transport certificated pilot and the three physician passengers aboard were fatally injured. The flight was a section of a routine quarterly visit by Indian Health Service (IHS) doctors to sites in North Dakota. The airplane and pilot were chartered by IHS from B & L Aviation, Rapid City, South Dakota. The flight departed Devil's Lake, North Dakota about 0800 with an initial destination of Rolla. Weather conditions at Rolla were unsuitable for a VFR approach, and the flight diverted to Minot for an instrument approach. The pilot received an outlook weather brief from the Grand Forks Automated Flight Service Station (AFSS) at 2103 CST on February 23, 1994. He requested the weather for a flight from Devil's Lake to Rolla, and from Rolla to Minot. The customer service agent for Great Lakes Airways at Devil's Lake reported the pilot came in at 0730. He stated the pilot didn't get a weather brief, and went out to the airplane at 0745. There was no record of the pilot receiving a weather brief the morning of the accident from the Grand Forks AFSS, the State of North Dakota contract weather service, or either FAA DUA
Probable cause
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN PROPER ALTITUDE DURING A MISSED APPROACH. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE UNFAVORABLE WEATHER AND SNOW COVERED TERRAIN.
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Browse: North Dakota · Cessna aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
