Piper PA31T accident near Billings, MT
On April 20, 2020, a Piper PA31T (airplane) was involved in an accident near Billings, MT. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- April 20, 2020
- Place
- Billings, MT
- Aircraft
- Piper PA31T · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 45.817°N, 108.589°W
- NTSB ID
- 20200420X64116
Official records · WPR20LA128
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn April 20, 2020, about 0950 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-31T1 airplane, N926K, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident about 1 1/2 miles west of Billings Logan International Airport (BIL), Billings, Montana. The airline transport pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 local flight. According to air traffic control information, the pilot requested to taxi to runway 28L for takeoff, perform pattern work at BIL, and return to land on runway 28R. After the pilot held short of runway 28L, the controller cleared the pilot for takeoff with instructions to extend the upwind leg. Shortly after takeoff and while departing to the west, the pilot was instructed twice to enter the left traffic pattern for runway 28R, with no response. A subsequent attempt was made to establish communication, with no response. Video from a security camera shows a column of smoke west of the airport about 1.5 minutes after the airplane departed. Radar data showed the airplane departing runway 28L and remaining on runway centerline heading for the length of the flight. The airplane’s altitude climbed to about 100 ft above ground level and the airplane’s groundspeed increased to 81 knots soon after departure, and then decreased to 70 knots before dropping off radar near the accident site. Witnesses located near the departure end of runway 28L watched the airplane through a window. The airplane was lower than normal with its gear not retracted as it neared the end of the runway. All the witnesses moved outside
Probable cause
The degraded airplane performance after takeoff for reasons that could not be determined from available evidence.
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 · 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.
