Wsk Pzl Mielec M-18A accident near Dawson, North Dakota, May 17, 1998
On May 17, 1998 at about 1:30 pm local time, a Wsk Pzl Mielec M-18A, registered N2284B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Dawson, North Dakota. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to maintain clearance with the telephone pole. Factors associated with the accident were the pole and the glare from the rising sun.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 17, 1998 · about 1:30 pm local time
- Place
- Dawson, North Dakota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Wsk Pzl Mielec M-18A
- Registration
- N2284B · no longer on the register · serial 1Z024-24
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The propeller contacted a telephone pole at a height 30 feet above the ground during an aerial application flight. The result of the impact was a loss of airplane control, followed by the airplane descending to impact the terrain. The airplane was flying to the east, into the sun at the time of the accident.
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
- Flight time: 6,000 hours in all; 2,500 in this make and model; 50 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 5,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Airesearch TPE-331 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Tappen ND
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:59 pm from BIS, 57 miles away
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.
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.