Cessna 340 accident near Fargo, ND
On December 1, 2016, a Cessna 340 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Fargo, ND. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- December 1, 2016
- Place
- Fargo, ND
- Aircraft
- Cessna 340 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 46.921°N, 96.816°W
- NTSB ID
- 20161201X92343
Official records · CEN17FA045
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- Transcript of Radio Communications: Transcript (PDF), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn December 1, 2016, at 1629 central standard time, a Cessna 340, N123KK, impacted terrain about 10 miles south of Hector International Airport (FAR), Fargo, North Dakota, after the pilot reported an in-flight fire. The pilot was fatally injured, and the airplane was destroyed. The airplane was registered to and operated by Weather Modification, LLC, of Fargo, under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as an "other work use" flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan had been filed. The local flight originated from FAR about 1430. Under contract with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the pilot had taken air samples at various altitudes over oil fields near Carrington, North Dakota, and was returning to FAR. According to radar data and voice communications transcripts, the pilot was being vectored towards, but overshot, the FAR runway 36 localizer. Shortly thereafter, when the airplane was at 1,700 feet mean sea level (msl), he reported an onboard fire. The airplane then lost altitude and radar contact was lost shortly thereafter. PERSONNEL INFORMATIONThe 55-year-old pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with airplane single- and multi-engine land ratings, and a Beech 300 type rating. He also held a flight instructor certificate with airplane single-engine, multi-engine, and instrument ratings. In addition, he held a mechanic's certificate with airframe and powerplant ratings. His most recent first-class airman medical
Probable cause
The loose fuel fitting on the combustion heater that leaked a lean fuel-air mixture into the nose baggage compartment. The mixture was most likely ignited by the combustion heater, blowing off the nose baggage compartment doors and starting an in-flight fire.
More accidents in ND
- Cessna 401A, Feb 24, 1994
- Piper PA-24-250, Oct 22, 1986
- Cessna 441, Nov 18, 2018
- Piper PA 28-140, Jun 9, 2016
- Beech V35B, Jul 31, 1992
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.
