Mooney M20J accident near Bismarck, North Dakota, December 15, 1983
On December 15, 1983, a Mooney M20J, registered N1151N, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bismarck, North Dakota (Bismarck Muni airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. 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
- December 15, 1983
- Place
- Bismarck, North Dakota · Bismarck Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mooney M20J · all M20Js on the register
- Registration
- N1151N · registry record
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT OF N1151N REPORTED THAT THE DEPARTURE ARPT HAD SOME DRIFTING SNOW WHICH CAUSED THE R BRAKE TO FREEZE AFTER TAKEOFF. WHEN THE ACFT WAS LANDED, THE R TIRE SLID UNTIL IT WORE THRU, THEN DEFLATED. THE PLT STOPPED THE ACFT ON THE RWY, INFORMED TOWER PSNL OF THE SITUATION & ASKED THEM TO SEND SOMEONE TO HELP. IN THE MEANTIME, A BOEING 737 TAXIED TO THE RWY. WHILE TAXIING, THE BOEING AIRCREW NOTED THE SILHOUETTE OF THE DISABLED ACFT, BUT DID NOT NOTICE ANY LIGHTS. THEY CONTINUED TAXIING TO THE RWY, MOVED INTO POSITION FOR TAKEOFF, BUT HELD WHILE WAITING FOR N1151N TO BE REMOVED FROMTHE RWY. THE PLT OF N115LN SAID HE LEFT HIS LIGHTS ON UNTIL HE SAW THE GND SVC VEHICLE, THEN TURNED THEM OFF WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS 'ALMOST TO US.' THE VEHICLE OCCUPANTS REPORTED THAT THE TOWER HAD ASKED THEM TO 'HURRY UP' & SAID THEY WERE DRIVING ABOUT 30 MPH. AS THEY PROCEEDED DOWN THE RWY, THEY SAW THE ROTATING BEACON OF THE BOEING 737, WHICH THEY THOUGHTWAS N1151N. THEY DID NOT SEE N1151N UNTIL AFTER THE VEHICLE HIT THE ACFT'S L WING.
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; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,000 hours in all; 3,080 in this make and model; 190 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,740 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A3B6D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FAR Fargo ND
- Flight plan: VFR then IFR
- Runway 31, 8,788 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 330° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,700 ft; scat at 1,700 ft
- Temperature: 14°F (-10°C), dew point 10°F (-12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:24 pm from BIS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 2 |
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.