# NTSB investigations, MT: VFR encounter with IMC

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 WPR24FA270](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR24FA270.md): Cessna 182K · Augusta, MT · Accident · 3 fatal · Class 3 · Field · Final report · Aug 8, 2024 · N2764Q · Substantial damage
  > The non-instrument-rated pilot’s decision to continue a visual flight rules flight into a rugged mountain area in deteriorating weather conditions, which resulted in impact with terrain.
- [NTSB WPR20LA304](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR20LA304.md): Cessna 172 · Seeley Lake, MT · Accident · 2 fatal · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Sep 13, 2020 · N3720R · Substantial damage
  > The noninstrument-rated pilot’s encounter with instrument meteorological conditions during a night visual approach due to wildfire smoke, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain.
- [NTSB WPR15FA135](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR15FA135.md): Piper PA32R - 301 · Townsend, MT · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Mar 26, 2015 · C-GAUS · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's decision to depart on and to continue a visual flight rules flight over mountainous terrain into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of recent…
- [NTSB WPR12CA213](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR12CA213.md): Rotherwick HR Glasair III · Darby, MT · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · May 17, 2012 · N471B · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s loss of directional control during an emergency landing on a paved highway.
- [NTSB WPR11FA221](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR11FA221.md): Air Tractor AT-802A · Miles City, MT · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · May 9, 2011 · N8523H · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's continued visual flight rules flight into deteriorating weather conditions in an airplane not equipped for instrument flight, which resulted in a collision with terrain.
- [NTSB WPR10FA438](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR10FA438.md): Cessna 182C · Belgrade, MT · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Aug 30, 2010 · N8957T · Substantial damage
  > The non-instrument rated pilot's decision to continue visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in a loss of airplane control.
- [NTSB WPR10FA273](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR10FA273.md): Piper PA-34-220T · Lincoln, MT · Accident · 2 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · May 30, 2010 · N44MC · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s decision to continue flight into an area of low ceilings and low visibility and his failure to maintain sufficient clearance from mountainous terrain.
- [NTSB WPR09FA176](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR09FA176.md): Maule M-4-220C · Hungry Horse, MT · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Apr 1, 2009 · N2007U · Destroyed
  > The pilot's improper decision to continue flight into an area of reduced visibility and snow showers during cruise flight, which resulted in the pilot's spatial disorientation and subsequent loss of aircraft control.
- [NTSB LAX08LA154](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX08LA154.md): Maule MX-7-235 · Boulder, MT · Accident · 1 fatal · Limited investigation · Final report · May 23, 2008 · N5657Y · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's decision to continue flight at low altitude in instrument weather conditions and his failure to maintain clearance from a power line. Contributing to the accident were low cloud and visibility conditions.
- [NTSB SEA08LA095](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA08LA095.md): Piper PA-28-181 · Bridger, MT · Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Mar 26, 2008 · N432RM · Substantial damage
  > The pilot failed to maintain situational awareness during the flight. Contributing to the accident were the dark night, the pilot's failure to follow approved navigational procedures for the flight, and the pilot's over reliance on the avionics in the…

## 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" = '401' 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/401/sequence?state=MT

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OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.