- Date
- June 14, 2003, 14:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Silver City, MT
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N82946Piper PA-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20030614010559A
- Case key
- 57224
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
Proper descent rate not maintained while on final approach. A wind gust is a factor in the accident.
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 stated that the airplane encountered a strong gust of wind while on short final. The pilot applied power, however, the airplane contacted terrain short of the intended runway resulting in substantial damage.
Factual narrative
On June 14, 2003, at 1430 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-18, N82946, sustained substantial damage after colliding with terrain short of runway 26 at the Silver City Airport, Silver City, Montana. The airplane is owned by the pilot, and was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) pleasure flight conducted under the provisions of Title 14, CFR Part 91. The airline transport pilot and passenger of the two-seat aircraft were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the flight. The flight originated from Helena, Montana, approximately 15 minutes prior the accident.
In a written report dated June 18, 2003, the pilot stated that the airplane encountered a strong gust of wind while on short final. The pilot applied power, however, the airplane contacted terrain short of the intended runway resulting in substantial damage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N82946
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-7809030
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- David M. Hoon
- Registered owner
- David M. Hoon
- Departed
- HLN · Helena, MT
- Destination
- MT18 · Helena, MT
- Airport
- MT18 · Silver City, runway 26
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
- 52
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 4,000 total · 150 in this make and model · 40 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N82946 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.