Cessna 150 accident near Bowbells, North Dakota, November 27, 1996
On November 27, 1996 at about 6:50 pm local time, a Cessna 150, registered CGOCS, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bowbells, North Dakota. It was an instructional 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 failure to lean the mixture control after applying carburetor heat as the pilot's operating handbook states should be done. The carburetor icing conditions and the terrain were factors.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 27, 1996 · about 6:50 pm local time
- Place
- Bowbells, North Dakota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- CGOCS · no longer on the register · serial 15075899
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While in cruise flight, the pilot said his RPM suddenly dropped and the engine began to make a '...stuttering...' noise. He said he applied carburetor heat and positioned the mixture to full rich. The engine continued to make the stuttering noise and have '...drops in the RPM.' As he approached an alternate airport he said he was informed the airport had no winter maintenance. He said he selectd a field that appeared flat with a little snow on it for a landing. As he approached the field he said it was a hill and landed next to it. An on-scene investigation revealed no mechanical or fuel anomalies that would cause the engine to stop running. The nose gear crushed the bottom of the firewall when it was bent aft during the landing. Ice crystals were found in the carburetor venturi and float bowl.
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: 95 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MOT Minot ND at 6:00 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 225° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 3°F (-16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.