# Accident 19970105000229A: Piper PA28R201T, Billings, MT, January 5, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 5, 1997
- Place: Billings, MT
- Damage: Destroyed
- Location: 45.2406° N, 107.9303° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=45.2406&lon=-107.9303&mi=10
- Aircraft: N3347Q, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N3347Q-1998-09-03) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28R-201T (registry code 7102813, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28r-201t) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA28R201T
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 2
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB SEA97FA043](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA97FA043) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970105000229A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(.19) SEE NTSB #SEA97FA043

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB SEA97FA043](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA97FA043), Jan 6, 1997: Piper PA-28R (N3347Q), Fort Smith, MT, destroyed, 2 fatal. 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.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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