- Date
- April 24, 1983, 16:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Ft. Smith, MT
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9171TCessna 180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830424018749A
- Case key
- 16068
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
After taking off from ft Smith, the plt leveled at 500 ft AGL & followed a river to look at some property aprx 5 mi away. While en route, the engine began to sputter & run irregularily. He performed a successful precautionary landing in a field where he made a thorough engine run-up & all systems checked normal. Thinking that the engine may have passed some water, he elected to takeoff & fly to hardin, MT. Aprx 2 min after takeoff, the engine began sputtering & running irregular again; however, the pilot could get no improvement when he attempted to restore the power. A forced landing was made in a field beyond some power lines. While applying heavy brakes to stop before reaching a ditch, the plane nosed over. An exam of the acft & engine was made, but no cause for the power loss was found.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9171T
- Reported as
- Cessna 180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 50671
- Airframe hours
- 3,505
- Engine
- Continental O-470-L, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Jeffrey Stuart Overton
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 30, 1982 · 28 hours before
- Destination
- MT02 · Hardin, MT
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 30
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 517 total · 20 in this make and model · 409 as pilot in command · 14 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 30 knots, gusting 35
- Visibility
- 100 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N9171T · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.