# NTSB investigations, MT: Landing gear collapse

NTSB aviation accident and incident investigations since 1962: the probable cause, findings, aircraft, crew, weather and docket of each, linked to the FAA registry and the FAA’s own reports.

## Latest cases

- [NTSB WPR26LA093](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR26LA093.md): Cessna 500 · Great Falls, MT · Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Preliminary report · Jan 19, 2026 · C-GJVK · Substantial damage
  > On January 19, 2026, about 1303 mountain standard time, a Cessna 500 airplane, C-GJVK, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident at Great Falls International Airport (GTF), Great Falls, Montana. The pilot and passenger were not injured.…
- [NTSB WPR25LA200](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR25LA200.md): Faust 3 · Harrison, MT · Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Preliminary report · Jun 30, 2025 · N5901V · Substantial damage
  > On June 30, 2025, about 1200 mountain daylight time, an experimental amateur built Faust 3, N5901V, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near Harrison, Montana. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was operated as…
- [NTSB WPR25LA301](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR25LA301.md): Piper PA-24-260 · West Yellowstone, MT · Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Preliminary report · Jun 29, 2025 · N9366P · Substantial damage
  > On June 29, 2025, at 1033 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-24-260, N9366P, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near West Yellowstone, Montana. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal…
- [NTSB WPR25LA122](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR25LA122.md): Beech C90A · Helena, MT · Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Mar 16, 2025 · N513JM · Substantial damage
  > The failure of the left main landing gear to fully extend and lock as a result of broken downlock switch wires and the failure of the pilots to complete the manual gear extension checklist.
- [NTSB WPR20CA183](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR20CA183.md): Cessna 310 · Butte, MT · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Data collection · Final report · Jun 15, 2020 · N87395 · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a fence post during final approach which resulted in a damage to the left main landing gear, and its subsequent collapse during landing.
- [NTSB WPR20CA066](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR20CA066.md): Piper PA 23 · Helena, MT · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Jan 8, 2020 · N1428P · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's improper decision to attempt an off-airport departure from rough terrain without inspecting the takeoff area, which resulted in a collision with a shallow rut during takeoff and the nose landing gear collapsing.
- [NTSB GAA18CA481](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA18CA481.md): Helio H 295 · Great Falls, MT · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Aug 11, 2018 · N77TR · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to maintain lateral control of the airplane during takeoff in a quartering tailwind.
- [NTSB GAA18CA404](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA18CA404.md): Cessna 180 · Cut Bank, MT · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Jul 9, 2018 · N180GB · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll.
- [NTSB GAA18CA220](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA18CA220.md): Piper PA 22 · Shelby, MT · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Apr 19, 2018 · N1283C · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s improper use of the fuel selector, which resulted in fuel starvation to the engine and an off-runway landing.
- [NTSB GAA17CA212](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA17CA212.md): Thomas Craig E Wittman W-10 · Stevensville, MT · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Mar 28, 2017 · N13XZ · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s decision to take off with a known master brake cylinder leak and his subsequent failure to maintain directional control during landing.
- [NTSB WPR17LA080](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR17LA080.md): Maxcy Christopher L Stol King · Bozeman, MT · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Mar 22, 2017 · N268CR · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing.
- [NTSB WPR17LA056](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR17LA056.md): Beech 99 · Billings, MT · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Jan 19, 2017 · N326CA · Substantial damage
  > The fatigue failure of the left main landing gear (MLG) actuator piston rod, which prevented the hydraulic system from producing pressure to control the MLG’s position and led to the right MLG collapsing during landing.
- [NTSB WPR17IA007](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR17IA007.md): Short Bros SD3 60 Sherpa · Missoula, MT · Incident · No injuries · Incident investigation · Final report · Oct 13, 2016 · N148Z · Minor damage
  > The failure of the nose landing gear down-lock piston to engage due to paint accumulation, which resulted in a nose landing gear collapse during landing. Also causal was the failure of the facility that performed the painting to comply with manufacturer…
- [NTSB GAA16CA492](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA16CA492.md): Cessna 170 · Sidney, MT · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Sep 10, 2016 · N8335A · Substantial damage
  > The student pilot’s improper landing flare, which resulted in a bounced landing, and the flight instructor’s inability to recover the airplane, which resulted in a runway excursion.
- [NTSB GAA16CA265](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA16CA265.md): Piper PA 18-150 · Laurel, MT · Accident · Minor injuries · Data collection · Final report · May 30, 2016 · N41553 · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's loss of directional control during the landing touchdown, resulting in a runway excursion and substantial damage to the both wings.
- [NTSB GAA16CA023](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA16CA023.md): Cessna 140 · Fort Benton, MT · Accident · Serious injuries · Data collection · Final report · Oct 20, 2015 · N76001 · Substantial damage
  > A hard landing which resulted in a loss of directional control, main landing gear collapse, and damage to the left wing spar.
- [NTSB GAA15CA235](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA15CA235.md): Cessna 172N · Kalispell, MT · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Aug 19, 2015 · N733NH · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's loss of directional control, which resulted in a runway excursion, and collision with runway and taxiway lights and terrain.
- [NTSB WPR13CA403](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR13CA403.md): Maule M-7-260C · Nashua, MT · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Sep 8, 2013 · N5515V · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a berm during the takeoff, which resulted in a loss of directional control.
- [NTSB WPR13LA349](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR13LA349.md): Piper PA-44-180 · Billings, MT · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Jul 30, 2013 · N5367Y · Substantial damage
  > The pilots’ inadequate landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing and collapse of the left main landing gear.
- [NTSB WPR13LA178](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR13LA178.md): MD Helicopter 369A · Darby, MT · Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Apr 2, 2013 · N369HW · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to arrest the landing descent due to his incorrect use of the throttle, which resulted in a hard landing.
- [NTSB WPR11LA370](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR11LA370.md): Piper J5A · Biddle, MT · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Jul 24, 2011 · N38AW · Substantial damage
  > Failure of the left main landing gear strut during the landing roll due to a preexisting crack.
- [NTSB WPR10LA476](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR10LA476.md): Cessna 310R · Great Falls, MT · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Sep 28, 2010 · N455TB · Substantial damage
  > The uncommanded retraction of the right main landing gear during taxi due to the failure of the landing gear extension system to move the right main gear upper side link into the locked position for undetermined reasons.
- [NTSB WPR10LA343](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR10LA343.md): Ercoupe 415 · Whitehall, MT · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Jul 9, 2010 · N87349 · Substantial damage
  > A loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
- [NTSB LAX08LA284](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX08LA284.md): Cessna TR182 · Spotted Bear, MT · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Aug 28, 2008 · N5523T · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's inadequate compensation for the variable wind conditions and failure to maintain adequate airspeed during landing.
- [NTSB SEA08CA169](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA08CA169.md): Bellanca 7GCBC · Helena, MT · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Jul 27, 2008 · N50476 · Substantial damage
  > The failure of the pilot receiving instruction to adequately compensate for the crosswind condition and failure to maintain directional control. Also causal was the flight instructor's delayed remedial action and inadequate supervision of the flight.
- [NTSB SEA08CA121](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA08CA121.md): Extra Flugzeugbau EA300/L · Great Falls, MT · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · May 4, 2008 · N272X · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's misjudged landing flare. A contributing factor was the glare from the sun.

## The whole list in SQL

Runs in DuckDB 1.2 or later on the release's Parquet files over HTTPS:

```sql
SELECT c."ntsbNumber", c."eventDate", c."eventType", c."eventCity", c."eventStateOrRegion", a.n_number, a."aircraftMake", a."aircraftModel", c."highestInjuryLevel", c."totalFatal", c."completionStatus", c.report_url
FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_case_detail.parquet' c LEFT JOIN 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_aircrafts.parquet' a ON a.case_mkey = c."mKey" AND a.position = 1
WHERE c."eventStateOrRegion" = 'MT' AND c."eventCountry" = 'USA'
  AND c."mKey" IN (SELECT s.case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_events.parquet' s WHERE s."tier2Number" = '094' AND s.case_mkey IN (SELECT case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_events.parquet' WHERE "isDefiningEvent"))
ORDER BY c."eventDate" DESC, c."ntsbNumber" DESC
```

This list as a web page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/094/sequence?state=MT

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