Cessna 152 accident near Arthur, North Dakota, August 5, 2000
On August 5, 2000 at about 1:05 am local time, a Cessna 152, registered N7385W, was substantially damaged in an accident near Arthur, North Dakota (Arthur Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the water contamination found in the fuel and the pilot misjudging his altitude during the emergency procedure. A factor was the terrain condition of the corn crop.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 5, 2000 · about 1:05 am local time
- Place
- Arthur, North Dakota · Arthur Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 152 · all 152s on the register
- Registration
- N7385W · registry record · serial 15284502
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane sustained substantial damage on impact with crops and terrain during a forced landing following an in-flight loss of engine power. The pilot was uninjured. The pilot said he felt he had the runway made and set up for a slightly wide base leg to lose excess altitude. He said that on final, the approach looked good but slightly high, so he lowered 10 degrees of flaps. He stated that it then appeared the glide was going to be short. The pilot further said, 'Realizing I would not make the runway I banked slightly to the left in an attempt to land in the soybean field east of the corn field I was over. Just before impact I flared slightly and the aircraft struck the corn field and nosed over, landing on its back. I was uninjured and exited the aircraft.' A Federal Aviation Administration inspector performed an on-scene examination of the wreckage. The inspector's report states, 'Prior to engine test run and after aircraft was turned right side up, approximately one teaspoon of water was drained from sumps. Possible fuel contamination suspected. Static engine test run was satisfactory.'
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: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,700 hours in all; 1,800 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 90 in the last 30 days; 2,640 as pilot in command; 2,200 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,212 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 3, 2000; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Flight Training LTD.
The flight
- Departed from: FAR Fargo ND
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 3,100 ft by 85 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 160° at 14 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 6,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N7385W the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.