19990508005039A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Amtr LANCAIR IV · Butte, MT · May 8, 1999

Date: May 8, 1999 · 15:30 local
Place: Butte, MT
Airport: Bert Mooney
Phase of flight: Roll-Out (Fixed Wing)
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N124GH
NTSB investigation: NTSBSEA99LA061
Reported as: Amtr Lancairiv
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0

N124GHRegistered now · Kelliher Robert E LANCAIR IVS/N LIV-115 · Built 1996 Airframe modelKelliher Robert E LANCAIR IV Engine modelAmateur-built UNKNOWN ENG

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Acft landed hard, and the landing gear and wings sustained damage. (.19) on may 8, 1999, about 1530 mountain daylight time, a Lancair iv, N124GH, registered to and operated by the pilot as a 14 CFR part 91 pleasure flight, landed hard at the Bert Mooney Airport, Butte, Montana, and veered off the runway. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. The airplane was substantially damaged and the commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight originated from Butte, about 15 minutes prior to the accident. The pilot reported that the rapid descent rate while on final approach was not arrested prior to touchdown. The airplane landed hard and veered off the side of the runway. Three holes along the leading edge of the left wing indicated contact with an object. (-23) hard landing with substantial damage to a/c wing and landing gear structures. No injury to pilot.

As the FAA filed it

ACFT LANDED HARD, AND THE LANDING GEAR AND WINGS SUSTAINED DAMAGE. (.19) ON MAY 8, 1999, ABOUT 1530 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, A LANCAIR IV, N124GH, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT AS A 14 CFR PART 91 PLEASURE FLIGHT, LANDED HARD AT THE BERT MOONEY AIRPORT, BUTTE, MONTANA, AND VEERED OFF THE RUNWAY. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE LOCAL FLIGHT. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND THE COMMERCIAL PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM BUTTE, ABOUT 15 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE RAPID DESCENT RATE WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH WAS NOT ARRESTED PRIOR TO TOUCHDOWN. THE AIRPLANE LANDED HARD AND VEERED OFF THE SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. THREE HOLES ALONG THE LEADING EDGE OF THE LEFT WING INDICATED CONTACT WITH AN OBJECT. (-23) HARD LANDING WITH SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO A/C WING AND LANDING GEAR STRUCTURES. NO INJURY TO PILOT.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB SEA99LA061Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportButte, MTThe pilot's improper flare.May 8, 1999 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N124GH · 2

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

Accident 20250630011419ALanding: Approach · Alpine, WYWhile landing after part 91 flight, pilot turned for final to land at Alpine, WY, 46U. During the turn, aircraft lost altitude and impacted the palisade reservoir 3500 feet from the end of runway 13. Both wings cracked in half, landing gear departed aircraft…Jun 30, 2025 · Destroyed Incident 19981228042399ILevel Off Touchdown · Butte, MT(-5) On December 25, 1998, N124GH, a lancer iv, piloted by eugene Hughes, tried to extend the landing gear for landing. According to the pilot, the gear would not extend. The pilot then stated that he tried several maneuvers to extend the gear. The pilot…Dec 28, 1998 · Minor damage