Cessna 320B accident near Mandan, North Dakota, September 8, 1983
On September 8, 1983 at about 5:18 pm local time, a Cessna 320B, registered N320RD, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mandan, North Dakota (Mandan Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 8, 1983 · about 5:18 pm local time
- Place
- Mandan, North Dakota · Mandan Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 320B · all 320Bs on the register
- Registration
- N320RD · registry record · serial 320B0035
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT LANDED GEAR UP AFTER THE NORMAL AND EMERGENCY EXTENSION SYSTEMS FAILED TO EXTEND THE LANDING GEAR. DURING THE APPRAOCH TO LAND THE PLT NOTICED THE LANDING GEAR DOWN LIGHT'WOULD NOT COME ON'. A MISSED APPROACH WAS EXECUTED. THE PLTDISCUSSED THE PROBLEM VIA RADIO WITH A MECHANIC AND TRIED ALL EMERGENCY PROCEDURES TO LOWER THE NOSE GEAR WITHOUT SUCCESS. HE DIVERTED TO MANDAN VIA BISMARCK TO BURN OFF FUEL AND LAND WHERE HE COULD GET MAINTENANCE ASSISTANCE. THE PLTAND MECHANIC DECIDED THE ACFT SHOULD BE LANDED ON THE SOD WITH ALL GEAR UP AFTER ANOTHER ATTEMPT TO EXTEND THE GEAR FAILED. A FULL FLAP LANDING WAS MADE WITH ENGINES CUT PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN. THE ACFT SLID 250 FT. EXAMINATION OF THE ACFT REVEALED THAT THE NOSE GEAR TORGUE TUBE WAS BUCKLED. INITIALLY IT WAS THOUGHT THAT A COOLING HOSE OR HEATER TUBE HAD INTERFERED WITH AND BUCKLED THE TUBE BY BEING IN THE WAY OF THE RETRACTION ROD. THIS WAS CONSIDERED BUT A MORE LIKELY REASON WAS OPERATION OF THE ACFT ON ROUGH TERRAIN.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,500 hours in all; 290 in this make and model; 92 in the last 90 days; 10,500 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,600 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 15, 1983
- Maximum gross weight: 5,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-470-C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: D61 Towner ND at 2:25 pm
- Destination: MOT Minot ND
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 12
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,000 ft; not recorded at 1,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.