What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On September 26, 2021, about 1922 mountain daylight time, a Beech S35 airplane, N354M, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Billings, Montana. The pilot was seriously injured, and 2 passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a title 14 code of federal regulations part 91 personal flight.
Witnesses located near the accident site reported observing the airplane on final for the runway, landing to the northeast. Two witnesses both described that the airplane appeared to be slightly high and fast while on final and that it had floated down the runway before touchdown. One witness characterized the landing as hard, however, the other witness stated that the left wing appeared to have stalled, and the airplane landed hard on the left main landing gear first.
The witnesses further stated that the airplane began to ?wobble? And depart the left side of the runway, followed by an increase in engine power. One witness stated that the airplane accelerated through the field in a nose high attitude, and that it appeared to do a ?duck waddle.? The witness said that engine power remained on as the left wingtip drug across the ground about halfway through the go around attempt. Subsequently the airplane impacted trees in a nose high attitude, where a post impact fire ensued.
As the FAA filed it
ON SEPTEMBER 26, 2021, ABOUT 1922 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, A BEECH S35 AIRPLANE, N354M, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT NEAR BILLINGS, MONTANA. THE PILOT WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED, AND 2 PASSENGERS WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED AS A TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT.
WITNESSES LOCATED NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE REPORTED OBSERVING THE AIRPLANE ON FINAL FOR THE RUNWAY, LANDING TO THE NORTHEAST. TWO WITNESSES BOTH DESCRIBED THAT THE AIRPLANE APPEARED TO BE SLIGHTLY HIGH AND FAST WHILE ON FINAL AND THAT IT HAD FLOATED DOWN THE RUNWAY BEFORE TOUCHDOWN. ONE WITNESS CHARACTERIZED THE LANDING AS HARD, HOWEVER, THE OTHER WITNESS STATED THAT THE LEFT WING APPEARED TO HAVE STALLED, AND THE AIRPLANE LANDED HARD ON THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR FIRST.
THE WITNESSES FURTHER STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO ?WOBBLE? AND DEPART THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY, FOLLOWED BY AN INCREASE IN ENGINE POWER. ONE WITNESS STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE ACCELERATED THROUGH THE FIELD IN A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE, AND THAT IT APPEARED TO DO A ?DUCK WADDLE.? THE WITNESS SAID THAT ENGINE POWER REMAINED ON AS THE LEFT WINGTIP DRUG ACROSS THE GROUND ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH THE GO AROUND ATTEMPT. SUBSEQUENTLY THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED TREES IN A NOSE HIGH ATTITUDE, WHERE A POST IMPACT FIRE ENSUED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.