Piper PA-31-350 N85115

Summary

On 18 August 1995 at about 21:42 local time, a Piper PA-31-350 registered N85115, operated by Pietsch Flying Service, was involved in an accident near Ardoch, North Dakota, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

18 August 1995 at 21:42

Classification

Accident

Location

Ardoch, North Dakota, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Piper PA-31-350

Registration

N85115

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Pietsch Flying Service

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Thief Rvr Falls → Minot

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI95FA285

2 people died.

the pilot-in-command's continuing flight into adverse weather. Factors were the pilot-in-command's failure to obtain a weather observation and the adverse weather.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

After deplaning passengers at Thief River Falls after an air taxi flight, the pilot was reportedly anxious to return to his base in Minot to prepare for another trip the following day, and left for the return trip within a few minutes after his arrival at Thief River Falls. There was no record of a weather briefing. Observations of Doppler radar by the University of North Dakota, and a Safety Board meterological study, show that the airplane had penetrated a thunderstorm when control was lost. The airplane had encountered the center of a microburst, and was located directly under the downdraft.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.