What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On June 19, 2025 a privately operated Cessna 172, with one pilot on board, was flying near blue creek road south of Billings, Montana. It was reported that the aircraft struck power lines, flipped, and caught fire around 2000 UTC.
An investigation was initiated on June 20, 2025. Based upon pictures and data gathered at the scene of the accident, the aircraft struck the ground in a nose down attitude and caught fire. The fire damage to the aircraft was from the engine compartment to the rear passenger compartment. The rear fuselage and tail, the wings, ailerons and flaps were not burned. The right wing had vertical damage to the leading edge roughly the same distance apart as the power line wires located 35 feet above. The airframe and wings of the aircraft showed signs of twisting in a direction indicating a stall/spin. Casual and/or contributing factors: ADS-B data was reviewed and indicated the aircraft was flying at altitudes ranging from 50 to 100 feet AGL at the time of the accident. No indicators of alcohol, drug, or health issues reported at this time. FAA cami directly handling toxicology and autopsy reporting. No ATC actions contributory to the event. No recommendations for systemic corrective action. Action taken to correct problem and prevent reoccurance: no action taken, pilot is deceased. Sas id: NM05202501941
As the FAA filed it
ON JUNE 19, 2025 A PRIVATELY OPERATED CESSNA 172, WITH ONE PILOT ON BOARD, WAS FLYING NEAR BLUE CREEK ROAD SOUTH OF BILLINGS, MONTANA. IT WAS REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK POWER LINES, FLIPPED, AND CAUGHT FIRE AROUND 2000 UTC.
AN INVESTIGATION WAS INITIATED ON JUNE 20, 2025. BASED UPON PICTURES AND DATA GATHERED AT THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT, THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE AND CAUGHT FIRE. THE FIRE DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT WAS FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT TO THE REAR PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. THE REAR FUSELAGE AND TAIL, THE WINGS, AILERONS AND FLAPS WERE NOT BURNED. THE RIGHT WING HAD VERTICAL DAMAGE TO THE LEADING EDGE ROUGHLY THE SAME DISTANCE APART AS THE POWER LINE WIRES LOCATED 35 FEET ABOVE. THE AIRFRAME AND WINGS OF THE AIRCRAFT SHOWED SIGNS OF TWISTING IN A DIRECTION INDICATING A STALL/SPIN. CASUAL AND/OR CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: ADS-B DATA WAS REVIEWED AND INDICATED THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLYING AT ALTITUDES RANGING FROM 50 TO 100 FEET AGL AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. NO INDICATORS OF ALCOHOL, DRUG, OR HEALTH ISSUES REPORTED AT THIS TIME. FAA CAMI DIRECTLY HANDLING TOXICOLOGY AND AUTOPSY REPORTING. NO ATC ACTIONS CONTRIBUTORY TO THE EVENT. NO RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SYSTEMIC CORRECTIVE ACTION. ACTION TAKEN TO CORRECT PROBLEM AND PREVENT REOCCURANCE: NO ACTION TAKEN, PILOT IS DECEASED. SAS ID: NM05202501941
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.