- Date
- September 29, 1991, 19:00 local (Sep 30, 1991, 01:00 UTC)
- Place
- Lincoln, MT
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N759SNCessna 182Q
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 10, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910929044129A
- Case key
- 41342
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 improper inflight planning/decision by the pilot to continue VFR flight into IMC conditions. Factors relating to the accident were the mountainous terrain in the area, and the low ceilings and clouds obscuring the mountains.
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 was observed flying at a low altitude AGL, following a road into a mountain pass that was obscured in clouds and fog. The acft impacted steep upsloping terrain on a mountain peak near the crest of the mountain chain, 3 miles from the road summit through the pass. Evidence on the wreckage indicated the exterior of the acft was wet when it impacted the ground.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N759SN
- Reported as
- Cessna 182Q
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18266224
- Airframe hours
- 1,921
- Engine
- Continental O-470-U, 230 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- James A. Gottfried
- Registered owner
- James A. Gottfried
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 9, 1991 · 26 hours before
- Departed
- 52S · St Ignatius, MT
- Destination
- 79S · Ft Benton, MT
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 64
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 496 total · 480 as pilot in command · 22 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 5 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,100 ft broken
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GTF, 46 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.