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20040807018559I

Incident · Substantial damage
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FAA incident report · Cessna T337G · Wisdom, MT · August 7, 2004

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 7, 2004 · 15:29 local
Place
Wisdom, MT
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N403V
Reported as
Cessna T337G
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
1,000 total125 in this make and model80 in the last 90 days
N403VRegistration cancelled Mar 2, 2012 · Cessna T337GS/N P3370250 · Built 1976Airframe modelCessna T337GEngine modelContinental TSIO-360 seriesReciprocating

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.

(-23) On August 7, 2004, aircraft N403V, a Cessna T337G, made an emergency landing on a paved road near Wisdom, Montana. The aircraft sustained minor damage to the front engine propeller, belly skins, and under the left wing, flap, tail boom and rear engine cowling. Investigation revealed from pilot's statement, he and his wife were VFR enroute to kalispell, Montana (fca) from chino, CA (cno) with a fuel stop in elko, NV (eko). The weather in fcawas VFR, rain and 6000 ovc. The pilot encountered a 28 kt. Head wind before salmon, id (smn) and by the time he got near missoula, MT (mso), his fuel reserve was getting low and no VFR areas in sight. The pilot turned around and tried to make it to smn, with the fuel indicators lower than expected. The pilot dialed in his GPS for the nearest airport away from the mountains and it was Wisdom, MT (7S4). Upon arrival to Wisdom, MT area, the pilot could not find the airport. He circled the town with the front engine sputtering and found a road and proceeded to land, and in the confusion forgot to lower the landing gear. The aircraft came to rest on the road with no injuries to the occupants. On August 8, 2004, during the site investigation, I noticed that the runway had not been mowed for awhile. The foliage on the runway appeared to be 12 to 18 inches high and the runway markers were completely covered with overgrowth. This may have obscured the sight of the runway from the air. This incident is considered closed.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON AUGUST 7, 2004, AIRCRAFT N403V, A CESSNA T337G, MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING ON A PAVED ROAD NEAR WISDOM, MONTANA. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE TO THE FRONT ENGINE PROPELLER, BELLY SKINS, AND UNDER THE LEFT WING, FLAP, TAIL BOOM AND REAR ENGINE COWLING. INVESTIGATION REVEALED FROM PILOT'S STATEMENT, HE AND HIS WIFE WERE VFR ENROUTE TO KALISPELL, MONTANA (FCA) FROM CHINO, CA (CNO) WITH A FUEL STOP IN ELKO, NV (EKO). THE WEATHER IN FCAWAS VFR, RAIN AND 6000 OVC. THE PILOT ENCOUNTERED A 28 KT. HEAD WIND BEFORE SALMON, ID (SMN) AND BY THE TIME HE GOT NEAR MISSOULA, MT (MSO), HIS FUEL RESERVE WAS GETTING LOW AND NO VFR AREAS IN SIGHT. THE PILOT TURNED AROUND AND TRIED TO MAKE IT TO SMN, WITH THE FUEL INDICATORS LOWER THAN EXPECTED. THE PILOT DIALED IN HIS GPS FOR THE NEAREST AIRPORT AWAY FROM THE MOUNTAINS AND IT WAS WISDOM, MT (7S4). UPON ARRIVAL TO WISDOM, MT AREA, THE PILOT COULD NOT FIND THE AIRPORT. HE CIRCLED THE TOWN WITH THE FRONT ENGINE SPUTTERING AND FOUND A ROAD AND PROCEEDED TO LAND, AND IN THE CONFUSION FORGOT TO LOWER THE LANDING GEAR. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON THE ROAD WITH NO INJURIES TO THE OCCUPANTS. ON AUGUST 8, 2004, DURING THE SITE INVESTIGATION, I NOTICED THAT THE RUNWAY HAD NOT BEEN MOWED FOR AWHILE. THE FOLIAGE ON THE RUNWAY APPEARED TO BE 12 TO 18 INCHES HIGH AND THE RUNWAY MARKERS WERE COMPLETELY COVERED WITH OVERGROWTH. THIS MAY HAVE OBSCURED THE SIGHT OF THE RUNWAY FROM THE AIR. THIS INCIDENT IS CONSIDERED CLOSED.