- Date
- October 2, 2004, 09:55 local (15:55 UTC)
- Place
- Augusta, MT
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N3086RCessna 150G
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 28, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20041002024829A
- Case key
- 60278
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 adequate obstacle clearance which resulted in the in-flight collision with rising terrain. Trees and rising terrain are factors 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
Shortly after takeoff the airplane collided with trees and rising terrain. In a written statement the pilot reported the airplane collided with trees and rising terrain after departing runway 12. He reported that the airplane cleared trees (approximately 50 feet in height) located at the end of the departure runway, however, the aircraft made contact with multiple trees and rising terrain beyond the departure end of the runway. The pilot stated "we hit trees for 150 yards before slowing enough to hit the ground." The published airport elevation for Benchmark is 5,434 feet MSL. No mechanical malfunctions or failures that may have contributed to the accident were reported.
Factual narrative
On October 2, 2004, about 0955 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 150G airplane, N3086R, sustained substantial damage after colliding with trees and terrain shortly after takeoff from the Benchmark Airport (3U7), Augusta, Montana. The airplane is owned by the passenger and was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) personal/pleasure flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The private pilot and passenger sustained minor injuries in the accident. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight.
In a written statement the pilot reported the airplane collided with trees and rising terrain shortly after departing runway 12 at Benchmark. The pilot reported the airplane cleared trees (approximately 50 feet in height) located at the end of the departure runway, however, the aircraft made contact with multiple trees and rising terrain beyond the departure end of the runway. The pilot stated "we hit trees for 150 yards before slowing enough to hit the ground."
The published airport elevation for Benchmark is 5,434 feet MSL.
The pilot reported that the outside air temperature at the time of the accident was 34 degrees Fahrenheit.
No mechanical malfunctions or failures that may have contributed to the accident were reported.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3086R
- Reported as
- Cessna 150G
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15066986
- Engine
- Continental O-200, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Terry Gollehon
- Registered owner
- Frank Schuler
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Departed
- 3U7 · Augusta, MT
- Airport
- 3U5 · Augusta, runway 12, 6,000 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
- 57
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- August 12, 2004
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 359 total · 10 in this make and model · 359 as pilot in command · 32 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 34 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.