- Date
- October 18, 1991, 15:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Columbus, MT
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N733QLCessna 172N
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 23, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911018047149A
- Case key
- 41559
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 in command's operation at too low an altitude over the river and his failure to maintain adequate clearance from the power lines. Factors contributing to the accident were the wires crossing the river and the pilot in command's poor judgement in choosing to operate at low altitudes along his route of flight.
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 and two passengers departed billings, Montana, at 1421 on a local VFR flight inn the Cessna 172N. Shortly thereafter several witnesses observed the aircraft operating at treetop level westbound in the vicinity of the yellowstone river. One witness observed the aircraft impact the water. On site examination revealed impact marks along the leading edge of the vertical stabilizer consistent with a wire strike. Power lines suspended 40 ffet above the surface of the river were observed to have impact related damage at a location near where the aircraft impacted the water.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N733QL
- Reported as
- Cessna 172N
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17268465
- Airframe hours
- 4,075
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Corporate Air
- Registered owner
- Corporate Air
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 30, 1991 · 25 hours before
- Departed
- BIL · Billings, 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
- 24
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 114 total · 49 in this make and model · 68 as pilot in command · 17 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 17 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 11,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 10 °F
- Altimeter
- 31.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LVM, 41 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.