What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On August 29, 2019, about 1558 mountain daylight time, a Beech BE-35 airplane, N9529Y, impacted terrain on a private ranch, near St. Ignatius, Montana. The private pilot and the two passengers were fatally injured, and the airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of title 14 code of federal regulations part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed around the time of the accident and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from a private airport in evansville, Indiana at 0630 eastern daylight time, had an intermediate stop at miller field airport (vtn) in valentine, Nebraska and was destined for St. Ignatius airport (52S) in St. Ignatius, Montana.
According to multiple witnesses, the pilot routinely flew low over the ranch to alert the ranch hands that he would be landing at 52S and required a ride to the ranch. On this occasion he was seen flying lower than anyone had seen in the past. One witness stated he heard the airplane approaching and looked up to see the airplane hit powerlines, a large spark, and the wing come off. Another witness stated he heard the airplane approaching, followed by a loud bang. When he looked towards the sound of the bang, he saw the airplane and a large spark. A third witness stated that he heard the airplane and looked up to see the airplane hit the wires. All the witnesses observed the airplane descending to the ground where it then tumbled about 400 feet.
As the FAA filed it
ON AUGUST 29, 2019, ABOUT 1558 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, A BEECH BE-35 AIRPLANE, N9529Y, IMPACTED TERRAIN ON A PRIVATE RANCH, NEAR ST. IGNATIUS, MONTANA. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND THE TWO PASSENGERS WERE FATALLY INJURED, AND THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE AIRPLANE WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 AS A PERSONAL FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AROUND THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM A PRIVATE AIRPORT IN EVANSVILLE, INDIANA AT 0630 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, HAD AN INTERMEDIATE STOP AT MILLER FIELD AIRPORT (VTN) IN VALENTINE, NEBRASKA AND WAS DESTINED FOR ST. IGNATIUS AIRPORT (52S) IN ST. IGNATIUS, MONTANA.
ACCORDING TO MULTIPLE WITNESSES, THE PILOT ROUTINELY FLEW LOW OVER THE RANCH TO ALERT THE RANCH HANDS THAT HE WOULD BE LANDING AT 52S AND REQUIRED A RIDE TO THE RANCH. ON THIS OCCASION HE WAS SEEN FLYING LOWER THAN ANYONE HAD SEEN IN THE PAST. ONE WITNESS STATED HE HEARD THE AIRPLANE APPROACHING AND LOOKED UP TO SEE THE AIRPLANE HIT POWERLINES, A LARGE SPARK, AND THE WING COME OFF. ANOTHER WITNESS STATED HE HEARD THE AIRPLANE APPROACHING, FOLLOWED BY A LOUD BANG. WHEN HE LOOKED TOWARDS THE SOUND OF THE BANG, HE SAW THE AIRPLANE AND A LARGE SPARK. A THIRD WITNESS STATED THAT HE HEARD THE AIRPLANE AND LOOKED UP TO SEE THE AIRPLANE HIT THE WIRES. ALL THE WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE DESCENDING TO THE GROUND WHERE IT THEN TUMBLED ABOUT 400 FEET.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.