- Date
- September 18, 1989, 07:22 local (13:22 UTC)
- Place
- Neihart, MT
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3456XMooney M20C
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 22, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890918035389A
- Case key
- 17785
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
VFR flight by the pilot into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) and his failure to maintain sufficient altitude. Related factors were: the high terrain and adverse weather conditions.
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 instrument rated commercial pilot reported that he was cruising at 14,500 feet when he encountered clouds. He descended to 12,500 feet and then to 11,000 feet in an effort to avoid the weather. He stated 'I descended down to eleven thousand and the trees came right up on me. I was VFR, didn't file a flight plan . . .' Elevation of the crash site was 9175 feet.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3456X
- Reported as
- Mooney M20C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 3411
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1D, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Finster, John N.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- MT02 · Hardin, MT
- Destination
- LWS · Lewiston, ID
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
- 39
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Expired
- Flight hours
- 1,632 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 9 knots
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point 10 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GTF, 43 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.