# Accident 20100530034869A: Piper PA-34-220T, Lincoln, MT, May 30, 2010 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: May 30, 2010, 08:40 local time - Place: Lincoln, MT - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 47.0089° N, 112.8192° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=47.0089&lon=-112.8192&mi=10 - Aircraft: N44MC, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N44MC-2013-06-18) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-34-220T (registry code 7103420, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-34-220t) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental TSIO-360 series (registry code 17019, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-tsio-360-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA-34-220T - Reported engine: CONT MOTOR TSIO-360 SER - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 2 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Private pilot - Pilot flight hours: 0 total, 0 in this make and model, 0 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR10FA273](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR10FA273) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20100530034869A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. NOTE: TIMES, HEADINGS, AND ALTITUDES ARE APPROXIMATE. ON MAY 30, 2010, AT 0845 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME (MST), PIPER PA34-220T, N44MC REGISTERED TO R&D AVIATION, REGISTRATION SIGNATORY MARC DOBROWITZKY, PILOTED BY MARC DOBROWITZKY, A PRIVATE PILOT WITH MULTIENGINE AND INSTRUMENT RATINGS, IMPACTED TERRAIN NINE MILES ON THE 295 DEGREE RADIAL FROM THE LINCOLN, MT AIRPORT (S69). THE IMPACT WAS HIGH ANGLE (80 DEGREES) AND HIGH ENERGY. THE ACTUAL FLIGHT PATH WAS EXTRAPOLATED TO BE HEADING OF 308 DEGREES TRUE NORTH, AND THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED ON A HEADING OF 17 DEGREE TRUE NORTH. THE IMPACT SITE WAS ON A SLOPE AT 6600' MSL. FOUR TREES AT THE SITE WERE BROKEN AT A 60 DEGREE ANGLE FROM THE AIRCRAFT STRIKING THEM. THE AIRCRAFT WINGS STRUCK TREES AGAIN AT CLOSE TO GROUND LEVEL AS THE FUSELAGE STRUCK THE GROUND, WHICH CONTAINED THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE IN A SMALL AREA WHEN THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED ON IMPACT, AND BOTH PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED AT IMPACT. THE PILOT HAD DEPARTED VFR. THE WEATHER CONDITIONS IN THE AREA AT THE TIME FROM OTHER PILOTS IN THIS GROUP WAS VMC BELOW THE BROKEN CLOUD LAYER AT 7,000' TO 7,500', WITH THE CEILING IN THE PASS 700' AND TURBULENCE IN THE PASS, LIGHT TO MODERATE, ROUGH, BUT NO ALTITUDE EXCURSIONS. TEMPERATURE FROM LINCOLN, MT RAWS AT 0803 MDT WAS 43 F, DEWPOINT 38 F. RADAR WEATHER MAPPING DURING THE TIMEFRAME SHOWS RAINFALL IN THE AREA. THE ACCIDENT PILOT FILED A VFR FLIGHT PLAN BUT IT WAS NOT ACTIVATED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED IN HELENA, MT, (KHLN) FOR FLIGHT TO CRANBROOOKE, BC, CANADA (CYXC), WITH THE INTENTION OF FLYING VMC AT 8,500', WITH LINCOLN AS THE FIRST AERIAL CALL IN CHECKPOINT.THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT WAS PART OF A FLIGHT OF 12 AIRCRAFT ORGANIZED AS PART OF A GUIDED TOUR, INITIATING AND TERMINATING IN HELENA, MT, FLYING THROUGH CANADA AND ALASKA. THIS AIRCRAFT DEPARTED AT 0812 MDT, FROM DATA IN THE TRANSPONDER RADAR CONTACT, INITIALLY CLIMBING TO 9,700' AT 0822, THEN DESCENDING TO THE LAST RADAR CONTACT AT 0823 MDT AT 9,200'. ABOUT 0830 MDT LATER THE PILOT OF THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE RADIOED THE LEAD AIRCRAFT (PILOTED BY THE GROUP LEADER/ORGANIZER) AND REPORTED HE WAS "5 MILES TO SEELEY LAKE AT 8,500 FEET." ON A FOLLOWUP CALL QUERYING THIS, THE ACCIDENT PILOT CORRECTED THIS TO LINCOLN. HE THEN REPORTED HE WAS ENTERING CLOUDS AT 8500' AND WAS RECEIVING LOW-ALTITUDE ALERT ON THE AIRCRAFT GPS. THE LEAD PILOT RADIOED HIM TO REMAIN VMC AND MAINTAIN VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE GROUND. MINUTES LATER, A "GARBLED" RADIO TRANSMISSION BELIEVED TO BE THE ACCIDENT PILOT WAS FOLLOWED BY A RADIO TRANSMISSION FROM THE PASSENGER OF THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE STATING "WE HAVE A PROBLEM" FOLLOWED BY "WE'VE HIT A TREE." NO OTHER RADIO TRANSMISSIONS WERE RECEIVED. ## 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 WPR10FA273](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR10FA273), May 30, 2010: Piper PA-34-220T (N44MC), Lincoln, MT, substantial damage, 2 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot’s decision to continue flight into an area of low ceilings and low visibility and his failure to maintain sufficient clearance from mountainous terrain. ## Other reports on N44MC (2) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 20070523825649I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20070523825649I), May 23, 2007: Piper PA34220T (N44MC), Pontiac, MI, No damage. (-23) The incident occurred may 23, 2007 at Pontiac, Michigan. While taxiing to hangar pilot stated "left wing tip of aircraft N44MC clipped the nose (spinner)… - [Incident 19920415057049I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19920415057049I), Apr 15, 1992: Piper PA34220T (N44MC), Chicago/Wheelin, IL. Narrative: pilot was making 180 degree turn on runway 6 at fwk to back taxi to taxiway e. pilot underestimated turning radius, one wheel went off runway edge… 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.