Initial NTSB report finds no malfunction in N.D. plane crash that killed Pittsburgh man

A preliminary investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board found no pre-crash malfunctions with the plane flown by a Pittsburgh man taking aerial photographs in North Dakota earlier this month.

Daniel Matsuo Miller, 35, was the only person in the Cessna 152 when it crashed into the Missouri River in Morton County, N.D., on July 17, according to the Bismarck-Tribune.

The plane was registered to Arbach Enterprises of Watertown, S.D., according to the preliminary NTSB report. Miller was taking aerial photos of farms and ranches in the area for Morning Star Photography.

According to the report, Miller had taken photos the day prior to the crash and landed the plane back at Mandan Municipal Airport, where a mechanic drove him to his hotel and agreed to pick him up the following morning.

Miller took off the next day about 8:45 a.m. and returned about 1:30 p.m. to refuel and take off again, according to the report.

Someone contacted the Morton County Sheriff’s Office about 2:42 p.m. to report the plane nose-down in the Missouri River near the Fort Rice Recreation Center, about 30 miles south of Bismarck, the Bismarck-Tribune reported.

NTSB investigators found “no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane,” and maintenance records showed no ongoing issues, according to the report.

The investigation is expected to take months, the newspaper reported.

Megan Guza is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Megan at 412-380-8519, mguza@tribweb.com or via Twitter @meganguzaTrib.