- Date
- June 9, 1985, 07:40 local (13:40 UTC)
- Place
- Melstone, MT
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N75063Piper PA-32R-300
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850609023319A
- Case key
- 16541
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 acft was observed in a left turn in a steep dive until it passed out of view behind a hill. The investigation revealed no evidence of airframe or engine malfunction or failure piror to the crash. Medical findings revealed the plt, sole occupant, had 90 percent narrowing of both coronary arteries and evidence of recent hemorrage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N75063
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32R-300
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32R7680254
- Engine
- Lycoming IO540-K1, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Charles Trower
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 16, 1985 · 375 hours before
- Departed
- Melstone, MT
- Destination
- BIL · Billings, 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
- 55
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Expired
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 2,000 total · 1,400 in this make and model · 40 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BIL, 60 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.