Beech 33 accident near St. Ignatius, MT
On August 29, 2019, a Beech 33 (airplane) was involved in an accident near St. Ignatius, MT. 3 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- August 29, 2019
- Place
- St. Ignatius, MT
- Aircraft
- Beech 33 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 3 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 47.276°N, 114.124°W
- NTSB ID
- 20190829X05958
Official records · WPR19FA246
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
On August 29, 2019, about 1600 mountain daylight time, a Beech BE-33 airplane, N9529Y, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near St. Ignatius, Montana. The pilot and two passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot and passengers departed on a multi-leg cross-country flight with a destination of St. Ignatius Airport (52S), St. Ignatius, Montana. As the flight was nearing its destination, multiple witnesses located on a ranch, reported that they observed the airplane approaching, then saw sparks and a wing come off the airplane as it passed through a set of power distribution lines. One witness stated that the pilot’s approach to the area was “as usual,” as he often flew over the ranch to notify those there that he would be landing at the airport; but he had “never seen him that low.” The pilot’s wife stated that he had flown to the destination airport numerous times and that he was going there to help with an electrical problem. A GoPro video camera was attached to the top of the right wing near the wing root. The camera contained multiple short videos of the first and second leg of the flight. One video recorded the airplane as it overflew a set of power distribution lines and continued to descend as it approached the ranch from the west. After arriving over the ranch, the airplane flew past a second set of power distribution lines that appeared to be at the same altitude as the airplane. After passing the power distribution lines, the video camera instantly
Probable cause
The pilot’s decision to maneuver the airplane at a low altitude, which resulted in impact with power lines and terrain.
More accidents in MT
- Pilatus PC-12/45, Mar 22, 2009
- Beech D18S, Jul 5, 1987
- Cessna 550, Dec 18, 1992
- Beech V35B, Jun 24, 1982
- Cessna 182C, May 12, 2007
Browse: Montana · Beech 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.
