# Accident 19970106000179A: Piper PA24260, Winston, MT, January 6, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 6, 1997, 20:26 local time
- Place: Winston, MT
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 46.5297° N, 111.7702° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=46.5297&lon=-111.7702&mi=10
- Aircraft: N9080P, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N9080P-1998-09-12) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-24-260 (registry code 7102406, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-24-260) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA24260
- Reported engine: LYC IO540D4A5
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 3
- Pilot flight hours: 2,300 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB SEA97FA044](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA97FA044) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970106000179A

## Narrative

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

AIRCRAFT LOST RADAR AND RADIO CONTACT, IS ASSUMED TO HAVE CRASHED. (.4) AN ATC CONTROLLER OBSERVED THE NIGHT IFR FLIGHT WITH THE 68-YEAR OLD PILOT DEVIATING SOUTH OF COURSE THEN CORRECTING BACK A LITTLE BIT BEFORE DEVIATING SOUTH AGAIN. THE DEVIATIONS WERE AS MUCH AS 90 DEGREES, AND ALTITUDE VARIED BY ABOUT 14,400 FEET MSL DOWN TO 14,000 FEET MSL. THEN, APPROXIMATELY 10 SOUTHEAST OF HELENA, MONTANA, RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST IN AN AREA OF NORMALLY GOOD RADAR COVERAGE. THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED AN IN-FLIGHT BREAKUP BEFORE IMPACTING IN HILLY TERRAIN. THE FLIGHT HAD BEEN CLEARED TO CLIMB TO 12,000 FEET AT 1936; AT 2006 THE CONTROLLER NOTED THAT `I DON'T KNOW WHERE HE'S GOING...HE'S ALL OVER THE PLACE...' DURING ON-SCENE INVESTIGATION, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE PORTABLE OXYGEN BOTTLE BEING CARRIED IN THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT BEING USED BY THE PILOT. THE PILOT WAS KNOWN TO FLY AT ALTITUDES ABOVE 12,500 FEET, AND AS HIGH AS 17,000 FEET, WITHOUT USING OXYGEN. AN AUTOPSY OF THE PILOT REVEALED ATHEROSCLEROSIS OF CORONARY ARTERIES WITH 90% STENOSIS OF LEFT ANTERIOR DESCENDING CORONARY ARTERY AND 90% STENOSIS OF RIGHT CORONARY ARTERY, AS WELL AS MULTIPLE BLUNT FORCE INJURIES.

## 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 SEA97FA044](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA97FA044), Jan 7, 1997: Piper PA-24-260 (N9080P), Winston, MT, destroyed, 3 fatal. Probable cause: Pilot incapacitation due to hypoxia. Failure of the pilot to use available oxygen is a factor.

## Other reports on N9080P (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 19780819048509I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19780819048509I), Aug 19, 1978: Piper PA24260 (N9080P), Bloomington, IN, Minor damage. Right main gear collapsed on rollout. Improper tension on overlock mechanism. AD 77B21 not complied with.

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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