NTSB Factual Report

On July 17, 2018, about 1423 central daylight time, a Cessna 152 II airplane, N24515, impacted the Missouri River while maneuvering about one mile east of Fort Rice, North Dakota. The left seat commercial pilot and sole occupant sustained fatal injuries. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The airplane was registered to Arbach Enterprises, Inc., Watertown, South Dakota and was operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 as a visual flight rules commercial aerial photography flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from the Mandan Municipal Airport (Y19), Mandan, North Dakota about 1330.

Arbach Enterprises, Inc. leased the airplane to Morning Star Air, LLC, Watertown, on a per tachometer hour basis to conduct 14 CFR Part 91 commercial aerial photography of farms and ranches. Morning Star Air, LLC leased the airplane and contracted aerial photographs with the pilot on a per photograph basis. The pilot was compensated per photograph taken. Morning Star Air, LLC worked in conjunction with Morning Star Photography, Inc., Watertown to sell photographs of the farms and ranches to the individual property owner. Prior to the accident, Arbach Enterprises, Inc. consisted of five high-wing single engine airplanes along with several pilots that contracted with the company for commercial aerial photography operations.

The purpose of the flight was for the pilot to conduct aerial photography of farms and ranches in Morton County, North Dakota. The pilot conducted aerial photography operations using a handheld Canon EOS 6D digital camera with a Canon Ultrasonic EF lens (70-200 millimeter focal length with a 1:2.8 maximum aperture), with the left window of the high-wing airplane opened while referencing a kneeboard-based county map of the target areas. Each square on the map is equivalent to one mile.

On July 16, the pilot landed at Y19 after conducting aerial photography operations and to refuel the airplane. A mechanic who is based out of Y19, provided the pilot a ride to his hotel in Mandan. The mechanic agreed to pick up the pilot on the morning of July 17, to transport him to the airport for his flight activities that day. The mechanic sent the pilot a text message via cellular phone on July 17, about 0705 inquiring if he was ready and the pilot was picked up about 0720. The pilot conducted the preflight of the airplane and reported to the mechanic that he would return around lunch time and departed from the airport about 0845. About 1325, the mechanic and pilot refueled the airplane with about 19.5 gallons of fuel. The pilot departed for the flight about 1330.

About 1442, the Morton County Sheriff's Office received notification that a witness observed the airplane located in the Missouri River. The airplane was discovered nose down at a 65 degree angle, in about five feet of water, and about 75 feet to the west of a northwest to southwest running sandbar located in the middle of the river. The front of the airplane was found oriented about 190 degrees. At the time of the accident, the sandbar area was flooded. The Missouri River, a freshwater river that flows from north to south in North Dakota, originates in Montana and the mouth of the river is located in Missouri joining the Mississippi River.

On July 18, the airplane was recovered from the Missouri River and transported to a secure hangar at Y19. On July 19, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge, a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) aviation safety inspector from the Fargo Flight Standards District Office, and air safety investigators from Textron Aviation and Lycoming Engines traveled to Y19 to conduct an examination of the airframe and engine.

During the examination, no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane were noted. An examination of the maintenance records revealed no evidence of uncorrected mechanical discrepancies with the airplane. The Canon EOS 6D digital camera, a Garmin Aera 660 global positioning system unit, an Apple iPhone cellular phone, and an Apple iPad tablet computer were recovered from the airplane. The four electronic items were secured and transported to the NTSB Vehicle Recorder Laboratory in Washington, District of Columbia, for examination and download.

On July 20, the investigative team conducted an interview with the owner of Arbach Enterprises, Inc. The team also traveled to the west bank of the Missouri River by Fort Rice with a deputy of the Morton County Sheriff's Office to study the accident site.

The accident airplane was automatic dependent surveillance – broadcast (ADS-B) equipped at the time of the accident and a request for the airplane's ADS-B data was submitted to the FAA, along with any radar data captured for the airplane.

The two-seat capacity airplane, serial number 15280303, was manufactured in 1977. The airplane was equipped with a 115 horsepower Lycoming O-235-L2C carbureted engine, serial number L-14884-15.