- Date
- September 5, 1985, 10:06 local (16:06 UTC)
- Place
- Saint Mary, MT
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- CGTGVPiper PA-28RT-201T
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 16557
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.
In flight encounter with weather
In-flight planning/decision - improperFactor
Vfr flight into imc - attemptedCause
Overconfidence in personal abilityFactor
Weather condition - low ceilingFactor
Weather condition - obscurationFactor
Weather condition - cloudsFactor
Judgment - poorCause
Lack of familiarity with geographic areaCause
In flight collision with object
Object - tree(s)
Clearance - not maintainedCause
Analysis
Plt received wx update enroute to kalispell, MT. He attempted to navigate through the glacier national park, following the 'going-to-the-sun' highway. The wx along the plt's route of flt included low cloud ceiling, limited visibility and mountain obscurement. The plt flew into a box canyon and collided with several trees before ground impact. The plt held a canadian airline transport certificate with an instrument rating.
Aircraft
- Registration
- CGTGV
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28RT-201T (PA-28RT-20)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R-7931176
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-360-FB, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- James Conway, doing business as Aero Aviation Centre
- Registered owner
- J. S. Percy Professional Corp.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · September 2, 1985 · 2 hours before
- Departed
- YYCY · Calgary, OF
- Destination
- FCA · Kalispell, MT
- Flight plan
- VFR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 28
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 4,000 total · 3,800 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day