Cessna 172N accident near Foley, Minnesota, March 16, 2003
On March 16, 2003 at about 10:01 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N5315D, was destroyed in an accident near Foley, Minnesota. It was a personal 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 continued visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions which led to spatial disorientation and subsequent impact with the ground. Contributing factors was the pilot's lack of instrument rating, the pilot's disregard of the preflight briefing and his failure to follow in-flight weather advisories and a low ceiling.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 16, 2003 · about 10:01 pm local time
- Place
- Foley, Minnesota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N5315D · no longer on the register · serial 17272512
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was destroyed when it impacted into a harvested agricultural field. The non-instrument rated pilot had received a pre-flight weather briefing and was informed that visual flight rules (VFR) flight was not recommended. Once airborne, the pilot contacted flight service and was given updated weather information. The briefer informed the pilot of a recently released AIRMET (Airman's Meteorological Information) for instrument meteorological conditions and that VFR flight was not recommended. The AIRMET included both the destination airport and the accident site. The weather at the destination airport, 8 nautical miles and 235 degrees from the accident site listed 6 statute miles visibility and an overcast ceiling at 900 feet above ground level (AGL). A weather reporting station 13 nautical miles and 107 degrees from the accident site, recorded a visibility of 7 nautical miles and clear skies. A weather reporting station 23 nautical miles and 188 degrees from the accident site, recorded a visibility of 1 1/4 statute miles with mist and an overcast ceiling at 300 feet AGL. Witnesses reported that the weather at the accident site was cloudy and drizzly. Examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of a pre-impact defect.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 72 hours in all; 15 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 27, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,602.7 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 16, 2003
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SUW Superior WI at 8:59 pm
- Destination: STC St Cloud MN
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 900 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.59 inHg
- Observation at 10:03 pm from STC, 8 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.
Other NTSB records under N5315D 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.