20051216029729A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Piper PA-28-181 · Butte, MT · December 16, 2005

Date: December 16, 2005 · 17:45 local
Place: Butte, MT
Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N4350F
NTSB investigation: NTSBSEA06LA029
Reported as: Piper PA28181
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1
Pilot’s flight hours: 256 total256 in this make and model3 in the last 90 days

N4350FRegistration cancelled Jul 15, 2013 · Piper PA-28-181S/N 28-7790020 · Built 1976 Airframe modelPiper PA-28-181

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) Aircraft left miles city, Montana, on December 16, 2005. A flight plan was not filed. A witness saw the aircraft at approximately 1740 local. The witness stated that he saw the aircraft heading in a northerly direction, the it reversed course and flew back in the direction from which it came. The witness stated that the engine sounded normal, that the aircraft was flying in and out of snow squalls, and that he heard a significant increase in power/rpms. An emergency transmitter (ELT) signal was detected a short time later by the search and rescue team.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AIRCRAFT LEFT MILES CITY, MONTANA, ON DECEMBER 16, 2005. A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED. A WITNESS SAW THE AIRCRAFT AT APPROXIMATELY 1740 LOCAL. THE WITNESS STATED THAT HE SAW THE AIRCRAFT HEADING IN A NORTHERLY DIRECTION, THE IT REVERSED COURSE AND FLEW BACK IN THE DIRECTION FROM WHICH IT CAME. THE WITNESS STATED THAT THE ENGINE SOUNDED NORMAL, THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLYING IN AND OUT OF SNOW SQUALLS, AND THAT HE HEARD A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN POWER/RPMS. AN EMERGENCY TRANSMITTER (ELT) SIGNAL WAS DETECTED A SHORT TIME LATER BY THE SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAM.

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 SEA06LA029Accident · 1 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportButte, MTThe pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the terrain during low-level maneuvering at night. Factors included the pilot’s improper in-flight decision to continue into an area that was forecasted to possibly contain snow, fog, and low ceilings. Additional…Dec 17, 2005 · Destroyed

Other reports on N4350F · 1

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

Incident 19880830050809IUnauth Low Level Opns · Miles CityAircraft hit powerline while flying low on a search and rescue effort. Forest fire smoke limited visibility.Aug 30, 1988 · Minor damage