What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Description of the accident:
On 11 August 2025 at 15:07 local time, a TBM-850 airplane registered as privacy data omitted, crashed during approach and landing to Kalispell City Airport (S27) runway 13. The left wing and nose struck the ground between the runway and paralell taxiway which ripped open the fuel tank which immediately caused a fire. The aicraft spun then slid across the taxiway onto a ramp damaging 3 parked airplanes and destroying a 4th parked airplane. After privacy data omitted came to rest, the pilot and 3 passengers egressed the aircraft with no injuries and the aircraft was consumed by fire.
Witnesses stated that on short final, after crossing the runway threshold to runway 13, the nose pitched up and simultaneously rolled left, due to an apparent stall as power was applied for a go around.
Causal and/or contributing factors:
The aircraft stalled on short final due to low airspeed during an unstabalized approach.
The pilot provided the following statement: “the traffic pattern was typical: I lowered approach flaps and the landing gear upon passing abeam the runway threshold on the downwind leg, and I observed that the aircraft slowed to below the landing flap extension speed limit of 122 knots during the base leg. After the speed slowed sufficiently to lower full landing flaps, I fully configured the airplane for landing prior to turning final.
During the final leg to runway 13, I determined that the aircraft was slightly high on my intended glidepath, which was steeper than usual due to obstructions on the approach end of runway 13, as well as the shorter runway. To correct my glidepath I reduced power to idle during the final leg.
At approximately 40’ above the runway, I noticed that the airspeed had begun to decay below my target reference speed, and the aircraft’s aural annunciator announced “airspeed” indicating that the airspeed at reached 80 knots. To correct, I added power, to a position that I judged to be approximately 30% torque on the aircraft power lever. I was cautious not to add too much power, since I was aware of the tbm’s known tendency to torque roll at low airspeeds and high power settings.
The aircraft did not, however, respond in the manner I anticipated, and it didn’t appear that the airspeed decay was arrested. I elected not to add additional power to avoid a torque roll, however, shortly before I touched down, the aircraft annunciated “stall”. At this point, the aircraft violently rolled to the left and departed the left hand side runway.”
No ATC actions contributory to the event.
No recommendations for systemic corrective action.
Action taken to correct problem and prevent reoccurance:
A 49 usc 44709 reexamination request is being initiated to evaluate the airman’s competency. The pilot has a history of conducting unstabalized approaches, entering the traffic pattern at high speeds and conducting abbreviated traffic patterns which do not allow time and space to properly configure and set up for a stabalized approach, which in this instance, resulted in an accident.
Sas:NM05202600110
As the FAA filed it
DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCIDENT:
ON 11 AUGUST 2025 AT 15:07 LOCAL TIME, A TBM-850 AIRPLANE REGISTERED AS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, CRASHED DURING APPROACH AND LANDING TO KALISPELL CITY AIRPORT (S27) RUNWAY 13. THE LEFT WING AND NOSE STRUCK THE GROUND BETWEEN THE RUNWAY AND PARALELL TAXIWAY WHICH RIPPED OPEN THE FUEL TANK WHICH IMMEDIATELY CAUSED A FIRE. THE AICRAFT SPUN THEN SLID ACROSS THE TAXIWAY ONTO A RAMP DAMAGING 3 PARKED AIRPLANES AND DESTROYING A 4TH PARKED AIRPLANE. AFTER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CAME TO REST, THE PILOT AND 3 PASSENGERS EGRESSED THE AIRCRAFT WITH NO INJURIES AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS CONSUMED BY FIRE.
WITNESSES STATED THAT ON SHORT FINAL, AFTER CROSSING THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD TO RUNWAY 13, THE NOSE PITCHED UP AND SIMULTANEOUSLY ROLLED LEFT, DUE TO AN APPARENT STALL AS POWER WAS APPLIED FOR A GO AROUND.
CAUSAL AND/OR CONTRIBUTING FACTORS:
THE AIRCRAFT STALLED ON SHORT FINAL DUE TO LOW AIRSPEED DURING AN UNSTABALIZED APPROACH.
THE PILOT PROVIDED THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT: “THE TRAFFIC PATTERN WAS TYPICAL: I LOWERED APPROACH FLAPS AND THE LANDING GEAR UPON PASSING ABEAM THE RUNWAY THRESHOLD ON THE DOWNWIND LEG, AND I OBSERVED THAT THE AIRCRAFT SLOWED TO BELOW THE LANDING FLAP EXTENSION SPEED LIMIT OF 122 KNOTS DURING THE BASE LEG. AFTER THE SPEED SLOWED SUFFICIENTLY TO LOWER FULL LANDING FLAPS, I FULLY CONFIGURED THE AIRPLANE FOR LANDING PRIOR TO TURNING FINAL.
DURING THE FINAL LEG TO RUNWAY 13, I DETERMINED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS SLIGHTLY HIGH ON MY INTENDED GLIDEPATH, WHICH WAS STEEPER THAN USUAL DUE TO OBSTRUCTIONS ON THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 13, AS WELL AS THE SHORTER RUNWAY. TO CORRECT MY GLIDEPATH I REDUCED POWER TO IDLE DURING THE FINAL LEG.
AT APPROXIMATELY 40’ ABOVE THE RUNWAY, I NOTICED THAT THE AIRSPEED HAD BEGUN TO DECAY BELOW MY TARGET REFERENCE SPEED, AND THE AIRCRAFT’S AURAL ANNUNCIATOR ANNOUNCED “AIRSPEED” INDICATING THAT THE AIRSPEED AT REACHED 80 KNOTS. TO CORRECT, I ADDED POWER, TO A POSITION THAT I JUDGED TO BE APPROXIMATELY 30% TORQUE ON THE AIRCRAFT POWER LEVER. I WAS CAUTIOUS NOT TO ADD TOO MUCH POWER, SINCE I WAS AWARE OF THE TBM’S KNOWN TENDENCY TO TORQUE ROLL AT LOW AIRSPEEDS AND HIGH POWER SETTINGS.
THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT, HOWEVER, RESPOND IN THE MANNER I ANTICIPATED, AND IT DIDN’T APPEAR THAT THE AIRSPEED DECAY WAS ARRESTED. I ELECTED NOT TO ADD ADDITIONAL POWER TO AVOID A TORQUE ROLL, HOWEVER, SHORTLY BEFORE I TOUCHED DOWN, THE AIRCRAFT ANNUNCIATED “STALL”. AT THIS POINT, THE AIRCRAFT VIOLENTLY ROLLED TO THE LEFT AND DEPARTED THE LEFT HAND SIDE RUNWAY.”
NO ATC ACTIONS CONTRIBUTORY TO THE EVENT.
NO RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SYSTEMIC CORRECTIVE ACTION.
ACTION TAKEN TO CORRECT PROBLEM AND PREVENT REOCCURANCE:
A 49 USC 44709 REEXAMINATION REQUEST IS BEING INITIATED TO EVALUATE THE AIRMAN’S COMPETENCY. THE PILOT HAS A HISTORY OF CONDUCTING UNSTABALIZED APPROACHES, ENTERING THE TRAFFIC PATTERN AT HIGH SPEEDS AND CONDUCTING ABBREVIATED TRAFFIC PATTERNS WHICH DO NOT ALLOW TIME AND SPACE TO PROPERLY CONFIGURE AND SET UP FOR A STABALIZED APPROACH, WHICH IN THIS INSTANCE, RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT.
SAS:NM05202600110
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other aircraft in the event · 1
Each aircraft in a collision has its own report.