- Date
- February 11, 1985, 10:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Thompson Falls, MT
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N3777PPiper PA-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850211004169A
- Case key
- 16633
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 nosed over during a forced lndg on terrain covered by 20 inches of snow. The flt was on deer survey flt the plt told of improper use of the carb heat control during a period of'perfect' icing conditions. The plts reduction of power during maneuvering also contributed to the build up of ice in the carburetor. The plt wrote in his statement under preventative recommendations that he should have been more aware of getting behind the 'heat curve' of the eng.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3777P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-46665
- Airframe hours
- 2,375
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Registered owner
- David Bennett
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 15, 1984 · 55 hours before
- Departed
- MSO · Thomas Falls, MT
- Airport
- Unknown
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
- 40
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 1,710 total · 1,000 in this make and model · 30 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 30 °F
- Observed at
- MSO
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.