Piper PA-28R accident near Fort Smith, MT
On January 6, 1997, a Piper PA-28R (airplane) was involved in an accident near Fort Smith, MT. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- January 6, 1997
- Place
- Fort Smith, MT
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 45.241°N, 107.930°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001208X07355
Official records · SEA97FA043
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLLIGHT On January 5, 1997, approximately 1930 mountain standard time, a Piper PA-28R, N3347Q, collided with steep rocky terrain about 49 miles southeast of Billings, Montana. The private pilot and his passenger received fatal injuries, and the aircraft was destroyed. The Part 91 personal pleasure flight, which departed Billings-Logan Airport at 1911, was en route to Gillette, Wyoming, at the time of the accident. The aircraft was on a VFR flight plan, and the ELT, which played a role in locating the aircraft, was activated by the impact. According to local authorities, the pilot and his passenger had planned to fly from Gillette to Billings on the day of the accident in order to do some shopping, and their intention was to return to Gillette that evening. At 0714 on the morning of the flight, the pilot called Casper Automated Flight Service Station, and received a weather briefing for the round-trip flight. The aircraft departed Gillette in the late morning and arrived at Billings around noon. Upon arriving at Billings, the aircraft was parked on the ramp while the pilot and his passenger went into town. About 1600, Lynch Flying Service moved the aircraft into a heated hangar in order to warm up the aircraft prior to the pilot arriving back at the airport for his return flight to Gillette. At 1814, the pilot called Great Falls Automated Flight Service Station, and received a weather briefing for the flight back to Gillette. After the briefing, the pilot filed a VFR flight plan, with a routing of direct to Gillette from Billings, an estimated time en route of one
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from terrain. Factors include the pilot inadvertently becoming lost/disoriented, the dark night (minimum ambient light), and mountainous/hilly terrain.
More accidents in MT
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Browse: Montana · Piper aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
