Amateur-built Murphy Rebel accident near Dunseith, North Dakota, July 31, 2004
On July 31, 2004 at about 10:00 pm local time, a amateur-built Murphy Rebel, registered CGKHN, was substantially damaged in an accident near Dunseith, North Dakota (International Peace Garden Apt airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's misjudged speed/distance, and his failure to maintain directional control during landing roll, which resulted in the inadvertent ground-loop.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 31, 2004 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Dunseith, North Dakota · International Peace Garden Apt · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Murphy Rebel
- Registration
- CGKHN · no longer on the register · serial 505
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane ground-looped during landing roll. The pilot reported he performed a three-point landing and continued to rollout straight down the runway for another 200 feet prior to the airplane beginning to drift to the left. The pilot stated he attempted to correct for the drift by applying "full right rudder and brake" but the airplane "would not turn". The pilot reported the airplane departed the runway surface after turning 120-degrees to the left. The pilot stated the airplane transitioned from the runway into a field and came to a stop facing 180-degrees from the runway heading. According to an on-site investigation, the airplane landed on the last third of the 3,000 foot runway and departed the left side of the runway approximately 375 feet from the end of the runway. There were brake skid marks that measured approximately 150 feet leading up to where the airplane departed the runway surface.
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; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 600 hours in all; 89 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 89.3 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection; 89.3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LXL Little Falls MN at 7:00 pm
- Destination: S28 Dunseith ND
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28, 3,000 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 11 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 6,500 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
- Observation at 9:54 pm from MOT, 66 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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.