Piper PA-38-112 accident near Silver Bow, MT
On August 15, 2011, a Piper PA-38-112 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Silver Bow, MT. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- August 15, 2011
- Place
- Silver Bow, MT
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-38-112 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 46.003°N, 112.659°W
- NTSB ID
- 20110815X62149
Official records · WPR11FA383
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On August 15, 2011, about 1130 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-38-112, N2584N, sustained substantial damage when it impacted terrain near Silver Bow, Montana. The airplane was registered to and operated by JJ Aviation, Butte, Montana, under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The certified flight instructor (CFI) and student pilot sustained fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the instructional flight. The local flight originated from the Bert Mooney Airport (BTM), Butte, Montana, about 1030. A witness who was traveling east on Interstate 90 (I-90), about one-half mile north of the accident site, reported observing the accident airplane flying in a clockwise horizontal circle with the wings almost vertical, while losing altitude slowly. The witness stated that during the second turn, the airplane appeared to be attempting to straighten out and climb, however, went straight down. The witness said that the airplane nosedived, spiraled twice and “fell fast.” The witness further stated that prior to losing site of the airplane, “the nose came up out of the dive.” A second witness, driving west on I-90, reported that they observed the accident airplane about 3,000 feet in the air spinning to the right. The witness stated that the airplane “tried to make a loop” and started to descend again in a spinning downward motion. The witness further stated that prior to losing sight of the airplane; it was pulling up to level the nose. Another witness, who was a rated pilot, repor
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain airplane control while maneuvering.
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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.
