# Accident 19980616035479A: Gulstm 680FL, Helena, MT, June 16, 1998 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: June 16, 1998, 18:00 local time - Place: Helena, MT - Airport: Helena Regional Airport - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Final Approach-IFR - Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135) - Operator: HSYA - Location: 46.5302° N, 112.2098° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=46.5302&lon=-112.2098&mi=10 - Aircraft: N446JR, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N446JR-1998-12-16) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Aero Commander 680FL (registry code 0141608, https://openairdocs.org/model/aero-commander-680fl) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: GULSTM 680FL - Reported engine: LYC IO720B1B - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 1 - Pilot flight hours: 1,506 total, 344 in this make and model, 199 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB SEA98FA100](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA98FA100) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980616035479A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ON JUNE 16, 1998, A GA-680-FL, N446JR, CRASHED WHILE ON AN IFR INSTRUMENT APPROACH TO THE HELENA, MONTANA AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATED BY CORPORATE AIR AS A FAR 135 SCHEDULED U.S. MAIL CARGO FLIGHT ON A ROUND TRIP TO KALISPELL, MONTANA. THE PILOT REPORTED PROCEDURE TURN INBOUND AT 7,000 FEET, AND THEN DESCENDING OUT OF 5,500 FEET. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN AT APPROXIMATELY THE 5,200 FOOT LEVEL 1.6 MILES OUTSIDE THE FINAL APPROACH FIX, WHICH HAS A CROSSING ALTITUDE OF 6,741 FEET. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED BY IMPACT AND POST CRASH FIRE. THE PILOT RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. (.19) ON JUNE 16, 1998, APPROXIMATELY 1805 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, AN AERO COMMANDER 680FL, N446JR, IMPACTED THE TERRAIN WHILE ON APPROACH TO RUNWAY 27 AT HELENA REGIONAL AIRPORT, HELENA, MONTANA. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT, WHO WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT, RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED. THE 14 CFR PART 135 CARGO FLIGHT, WHICH DEPARTED KALLISPELL, MONTANA, ABOUT 65 MINUTES EARLIER, WAS OPERATING IN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRCRAFT, WHICH WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY CORPORATE AIR, OF BILLINGS, MONTANA, WAS ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN, AND THE ELT TRANSMISSIONS THAT WERE TRIGGERED BY THE IMPACT PLAYED A ROLE IN LOCATING THE WRECKAGE. THE PILOT, WHO HAD BEEN CLEARED TO FLY THE ILS APPROACH TO RUNWAY 27, WAS FOUND TO HAVE IMPACTED TERRAIN ABOUT 5, 150 FEET MSL, APPROXIMATELY 1.5 MILES EAST OF THE HAUSER NON-DIRECTIONAL BEACON (NDB). ACCORDING TO THE ALTITUDE RESTRICTIONS ON THE ILS RUNWAY 27 APPROACH PLATE, THE ALTITUDE OF THE AIRCRAFT AT THAT LOCATION SHOULD HAVE BEEN 7,000 FEET MSL. (.4)THE PILOT OF THE PART 135 CARGO FLIGHT WAS EXECUTING THE 'FULL' ILS RUNWAY 27 APPROACH AT HELENA REGIONAL AIRPORT IN A NON-RADAR ENVIRONMENT. ALTHOUGH THE APPROACH CALLS FOR THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN 7,000 FEET UNTIL INTERCEPTING THE GLIDESLOPE, THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE TERRAIN AT 5,300 ABOUT 1.5 MILES PRIOR TO REACHING THE POINT WHERE THE PILOT SHOULD HAVE CROSSED THE HAUSER NDB AT AN ALTITUDE OF 6,741 FEET. ACCORDING TO THE APPROACH PLATE, THE AIRCRAFT SHOULD NOT HAVE DESCENDED TO AN ALTITUDE BELOW 5,400 FEET UNTIL REACHING THE OUTER MARKER, WHICH IS LOCATED ABOUT FIVE AND ONE-HALF MILES WEST OF THE IMPACT SITE. (-23)ON JUNE 16, 1998,A GA-680-FL, N446JR, CRASHED WHILE ON AN IFR INSTRUMENT APPROACH TO THE HELENA, MT. AIRPORT. THE A/C WAS OPERATED BY CORPORATE AIR AS A FAR 135 SCHEDULED U.S.MAIL CARGO FLIGHT ON A ROUND TRIP TO KALISPELL, MT. THE PILOT REPORTED PROCEDURE TURN INBOUND AT 7,000 FEET, AND THEN DESCENDING OUT OF 5,500 FEET. THE A/C IMPACTED IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN AT APPROX. THE 5,200 FOOT LEVEL 1.6 MILES OUTSIDE THE FINAL APPROACH FIX, WHICH HAS A CROSSING ALTITUDE OF 6,741 FEET. THE A/C WAS DESTROYED BY IMPACT AND P OST CRASH FIRE. THE PILOT RECEIVED FATAL 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 SEA98FA100](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA98FA100), Jun 17, 1998: Aero Commander 680FL (N446JR), Helena, MT, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain the correct altitude while turning inbound during a procedure turn to the ILS final approach course. Factors include hilly/mountainous terrain and clouds in the area… ## Other reports on N446JR (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 19900219012579I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19900219012579I), Feb 19, 1990: Gulstm 680FL (N446JR), Boise, ID. Shortly after departure pilot returned and landed. Had carbon monoxide poisoning. Heater tube cracked. 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.