Beech 95-B55 accident near Moorhead, Minnesota, February 24, 2000
On February 24, 2000 at about 5:03 pm local time, a Beech 95-B55, registered N7736R, was destroyed in an accident near Moorhead, Minnesota (Moorehead Municipal Arpt airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during the missed approach. Factors to the accident were, the pilot's improper decision to attempt the approach in weather conditions below the approach/landing minimums, the weather, the pilot's lack of multiengine instrument experience, and spatial disorientation by the pilot.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 24, 2000 · about 5:03 pm local time
- Place
- Moorhead, Minnesota · Moorehead Municipal Arpt · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech 95-B55 · all 95-B55s on the register
- Registration
- N7736R · no longer on the register · serial TC-1173
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The twin engine airplane was destroyed on impact with level terrain while executing a missed approach. During a VOR-A approach, the pilot descended 400 feet below the minimum descent altitude and the air traffic controller advised him to check altitude. After declaring a missed approach, ATC issued, and the pilot acknowledged, two vectors, after which radar and radio contact were lost. At one point, the pilot is advised and acknowledged that the runway visual range at a nearby airport is 3,000 feet. The destination airport had an overcast ceiling of 300 feet agl and 1-1/2 mile visibility about 20 minutes before the accident, and a 100 foot overcast ceiling and 1/2 mile visibility about 20 minutes after the accident. Radar data records the aircraft at an altitude of 2,100 feet msl and 4 seconds later records the altitude as 1,600 feet msl. The pilot received his multiengine airplane rating 2 months prior to the accident and had logged 25 hours in multiengine airplanes, 23 hours in the accident airplane, 11.4 hours in the accident airplane as pilot-in-command, and 7.8 hours simulated instrument time in the accident airplane. No anomalies were found with respect to the aircraft that could be associated with a preexisting condition.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,713 hours in all; 23 in this make and model; 5,593 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 10, 1999
- Maximum gross weight: 5,100 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520E2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BNW Boone IA at 3:10 pm
- Destination: JKJ
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 0.2 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 100 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:17 pm from JKJ, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.