Cessna 414A incident near Dickinson, North Dakota, August 30, 1993
On August 30, 1993 at about 12:15 pm local time, a Cessna 414A, registered N36990, suffered minor damage in an incident near Dickinson, North Dakota (Dickinson Municipal airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the total failure of the airplane's heater system combustion air pressure safety switch.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 30, 1993 · about 12:15 pm local time
- Place
- Dickinson, North Dakota · Dickinson Municipal · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 414A · all 414As on the register
- Registration
- N36990 · no longer on the register · serial 0504
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE CORPORATE TWIN-ENGINE AIRPLANE WAS TAXIING FOR DEPARTURE WHEN THE PILOT TURNED THE COCKPIT/CABIN HEATER ON. APPROXIMATELY FIVE MINUTES LATER AN EXPLOSION OCCURRED WHICH CAUSED TWO OF THE THREE BAGGAGE DOORS TO COMPLETELY SEPARATE FROM THE AIRFRAME. A THIRD DOOR REMAINED ATTACHED WITH BY A HINGE. DURING THE ON-SCENE INVESTIGATION EXPLOSION/FLAME DAMAGE TO THE BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT INTERIOR AND THE INTERIOR SIDES OF THE DOORS WAS NOT OBSERVED. INSPECTION OF THE HEATER UNIT REVEALED THE COMBUSTION AIR PRESSURE SWITCH WOULD NOT INTERRUPT ELECTRICAL POWER TO THE FUEL SOLENOID VALVE WHEN AIR PRESSURE WAS REMOVED FROM IT. THE SOLENOID ALLOWED FUEL TO ENTER THE HEATER UNTIL CONDITIONS ALLOWED THE EXPLOSION.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,000 hours in all; 1,200 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 2,500 as pilot in command; 200 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 1993
- Maximum gross weight: 7,200 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Fisher Sand And Gravel CO.
The flight
- Destination: MHE Mitchell SD
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 1,400 ft
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:50 pm from DIK
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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.