# Accident 20000730005999A: Missoula, MT, July 30, 2000

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 30, 2000, 18:00 local time
- Place: Missoula, MT
- Airport: Missoula International Airport
- Damage: No damage
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 45.8009° N, 115.5108° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=45.8009&lon=-115.5108&mi=10
- Aircraft: N179Z (not matched to a registry record)
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB SEA00TA149](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA00TA149) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000730005999A

## Narrative

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

(-23) THE AIRCRAFT WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY U.S. FOREST SERVICE AND CONDUCTING A FIRE FIGHTING MISSION. THE PILOT STATED THAT THEY HAD DROPPED 8 SMOKEJUMPERS AND 3 CARGO PASSES. ON THE 4TH CARGO PASS WHEN THE COMMAND TO KICK WAS GIVEN, THE AIRCRAFT PITCHED DOWN. BACK PRESSURE AND POWER WERE APPLIED. SEVERAL OTHER UP AND DOWN PITCHES OCCURRED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLOWN BACK TO MISSOULA, AN EMERGENCY WAS DECLARED, AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE SPOTTER STATED THAT ON THE 4TH CARGO PASS WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO PUSH A CHAINSAW BOX OUT THE DOOR, THE BOX CAME BACK INTO THE AIRCRAFT, THE CORNER HIT HIM IN THE STERNUM. HE PUSHED THE BOX OUT AGAIN AND IT WENT END OVER END AND UP THE LEFT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE BOX CONTINUED OVER THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER. THE CARGO CHUTE DEPLOYED AND WENT UNDER THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER. THE SPOTTER INFORMED THE PILOT THAT THEY HAD CARGO IN TOW. THE PILOT REQUESTED THAT THE STATIC LINE BE CUT. THE CARGO CHUTE BLEW OUT AND WAS STREAMING BEHIND THE TAIL.

## 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 SEA00TA149](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA00TA149), Jul 31, 2000: Short SD3-30 200 (N179Z), Elk City, ID, substantial damage. Probable cause: Entanglement of air-dropped cargo parachute with the aircraft's horizontal stabilizer, resulting in damage to the horizontal stabilizer.

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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