# NTSB DEN85FA048: Piper PA-32-300, N2024M, Billings, MT, December 23, 1984

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Fatal · Field investigation · Final report
- Date: December 23, 1984, 11:18 local (18:18 UTC)
- Place: Billings, MT
- Location: 45.8265° N, 108.5754° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs from NTSB’s distance and direction from BILLINGS LOGAN INTL (BIL), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=45.8265&lon=-108.5754&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: Fatal
- Injuries: 3 fatal
- Status: Completed
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB case key (mKey): 16520
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DEN85FA048
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/16520/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DEN85FA048

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- In flight encounter with weather, takeoff - initial climb
  - weather condition - fog (contributing factor)
  - flight into known adverse weather - intentional, pilot in command (cause)
  - overconfidence in personal ability, pilot in command (contributing factor)
  - weather condition - low ceiling (contributing factor)
  - judgment - poor, pilot in command (cause)
  - self-induced pressure, pilot in command (contributing factor)
  - weather condition - obscuration (contributing factor)
  - became lost/disoriented - inadvertent, pilot in command (cause)
  - weather condition - snow (contributing factor)
  - weather condition - turbulence in clouds (contributing factor)
- Loss of control - in flight, climb
  - stall/spin - uncontrolled, pilot in command (cause)
- Airframe/component/system failure/malfunction, descent - uncontrolled
  - wing - overload (cause)
  - airspeed(va) - exceeded, pilot in command (cause)
  - horizontal stabilizer attachment - overload (cause)
  - vertical stabilizer attachment - overload (cause)
- In flight collision with terrain/water, descent - uncontrolled

## Analysis

ON DEC 23, 1984, A NON INSTRUMENT RATED PVT PLT CRASHED INTO THE GROUND NEAR THE ARPT AT BILLINGS, MT KILLING ALL THREE OCCUPANTS ONBOARD. WX CONDITIONS AT THE TIME WERE INDEFINITE CEILING 100 FT SKY OBSCURED, 1/2 VIS WITH SNOW AND FOG. THEPLT RECEIVED PRIOR WX BRIEFINGS PRIOR TO DEPARTURE AND FILED AN IFR. SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTURE, THE AC WAS OBSERVED ON RADAR TO BE MEANDERING OVER THE ARPT. LOCAL EAR WITNESSES HEARD THE AC IN A COUPLE OF SPIRAL TYPE TURNS BEFORE CRASHING.EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THAT THE VERITICAL, HORIZONTAL STABILIZERS AND RIGHT WING SEPARATED INFLT JUST PRIOR TO IMPACT WITH THE GROUND. THE PLT & HIS FAMILY WERE GOING TO PHOENIX, AZ TO SPEND XMAS WITH HIS FAMILY.

## Aircraft

- Registration: N2024M (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-32-300
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 32-7840037
- Engines: AVCO LYCOMING O-540-KIG5D 300 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Destroyed
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Registered owner: Jeffrey Linn Strickland
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Departed: BIL, BILLINGS, MT
- Destination: RIV, RIVERTON, WY
- Flight plan: IFR
- Airport: BIL, Billings Logan Int'L, runway 9, 10,500 × 150 ft, asphalt

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 31; private; medical: class 3, expired; seat: left; toxicology performed; flight hours: 3,619 total, 824 in this make and model

## Weather

- Conditions: Instrument (IMC), Day
- Wind: 30° at 9 knots
- Lowest ceiling: 100 ft
- Temperature: 3 °F, dew point 1 °F
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observed at: BIL, 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 (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 19841223067609A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19841223067609A), Dec 23, 1984: Piper PA32300, Billings, MT, Destroyed, 2 fatal. VFR pilot filed IFR under anothers name. Took off in low IFR weather, lost control. Inflight airframe failure.

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

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