Pilot Reported Fire Onboard Before Fargo Plane Crash

The National Transportation Safety Board released it’s preliminary accident report of a Fargo plane crash saying the pilot, 55 year old, Hans Ahlness, reported a fire on board.

The report continues saying the airplane, which was at 1,700 feet, lost altitude rapidly and radar contact was lost.

Under contract with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the pilot had taken air samples at various altitudes over Carrington, North Dakota, and was returning to the Fargo Airport when the accident occurred.

The pilot was being directed  towards but overshot the runway..

Ahlness, an executive with Weather Modification International for 31 years, died in the crash.

The plane went down on the night of December 1, 2016 just east of I–29 near Wild Rice.

There were no other passengers on board the 1973 Cessna Model 340 at the time.

Police were called to the crash just after 4:30 p.m., hearing it may have landed in the interstate.

They say the plane was in several pieces when they showed up.

It was found next to the Wild Rice River a half mile east of I–29 near mile marker 54, south of County Road 14.