- Date
- March 31, 1984, 02:03 local (09:03 UTC)
- Place
- Miles City, MT
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N743WAero Commander 500-B
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19840331065249A
- Case key
- 16207
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
The plt said that when he called on the radio prior to the approach for an altimeter setting the reply was '30.11 or 30.12, something like that.' The acft altimeter was found after the accident set at 30.22 inches of mercury. The visibility was described as 1 and 1/2 Miles in snow showers. He continued the approach 'because minimums are one mile.' He descended outbound to 4500 ft. minimum procedure turn alt is 4700 ft MSL. The plt then descended to 3700 ft MSL as heapproached the VOR. Power was reduced to 17-18 inches of manifold pressure and airspeed reduced to 120 KTS. As the VOR was crossed he glanced at the altimeter and 'the hands were in the two o'clock position.' Landing gear was extended and approach flaps set. The plt said all seemed normal. He looked out the window and saw 'wispy clouds going by rapidly. Then there were the sounds of impact.' The next thing remembered was the sound of dripping gasoline. The plt said he crawled out of the cockpit window and wandered 'for a couple hours trying to chase down the search lights.'
Aircraft
- Registration
- N743W
- Reported as
- Aero Commander 500-B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 500B117389
- Airframe hours
- 13,453
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-B1A5, 290 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Part 135
- Registered owner
- Combs Airways, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · March 23, 1984 · 12 hours before
- Departed
- BIL · Billings, MT
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- MLS · Frank Wiley, runway 12, 5,602 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
- 34
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,750 total · 394 in this make and model · 2,131 as pilot in command · 199 in the last 90 days · 66 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 100° at 12 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,500 ft
- Temperature
- 32 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MLS, 2 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.