- Date
- July 3, 2000, 11:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Toston, MT
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2146NCessna 120
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 9, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20000703005759A
- Case key
- 49663
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
The pilot's failure to maintain sufficient altitude to avoid contact with the ground. Contributing factors were the downdraft conditions and the fence post.
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 pilot reported in a telephonic interview that he and his son were on a local sightseeing flight operating approximately 1,000 feet above ground when the aircraft encountered a strong downdraft. Concerned that the aircraft might make contact with terrain, the pilot maneuvered over a dirt road. Although the pilot reported no mechanical problem with the aircraft or its powerplant, the aircraft continued to descend until touchdown on the road. During the landing roll, the right main landing gear and right wing impacted a fence post and the right wheel separated from the strut. The aircraft then veered right off the road nosing over as it passed into a ditch.
Factual narrative
On July 3, 2000, approximately 1130 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 120, N2146N, registered to and being flown by a private pilot, was substantially damaged during an on-ground collision with objects followed by a nose over on a dirt road approximately three miles west of Toston, Montana. The pilot and passenger were uninjured. Visual meteorological conditions existed and no flight plan had been filed. The flight, which was personal, was operated under 14CFR91, and originated from Helena, Montana, approximately two hours earlier.
The pilot reported in a telephonic interview that he and his son were on a local sightseeing flight operating approximately 1,000 feet above ground when the aircraft encountered a strong downdraft. The pilot reported maneuvering the aircraft over a north-south dirt road concerned that he might contact terrain. The descent continued and the aircraft touched down on the road. During the landing roll, the right main landing gear and right wing impacted a fence post and the right wheel separated from the strut. The aircraft then veered right off the road nosing over as it passed into a ditch.
The pilot reported that the aircraft did not suffer any powerplant or control malfunction during the event.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2146N
- Reported as
- Cessna 120
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 12382
- Airframe hours
- 4,795
- Engine
- Continental O-200, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Brand, Donald A.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 6, 2000 · 32 hours before
- Departed
- HLN · Helena, 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
- 49
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,860 total · 1,750 in this make and model · 31 in the last 90 days · 31 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 14 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BZN, 29 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.