SEA94LA003

The pilot executed a westbound takeoff from a single lane, gravel, service road, and reported 20 knot westerly winds with gusts to 30 knots. Immediately following departure he turned left and shortly thereafter the aircraft impacted the ground heading south. The initial ground impact site was approximately 300 feet south of the east/west gravel road from which he took off.

On October 3, 1993, at approximately 1220 hours mountain daylight time (MDT), a Cessna 180H, N9002M, registered to and being flown by Kirk J. Hohenberger, a certificated airline transport pilot, was substantially damaged during a collision with terrain while executing a crosswind climbout turn approximately 9 miles east of Stanford, Montana. The pilot suffered serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed. The flight, which was personal in nature, was to have been operated in accordance with the requirements set forth in 14CFR91 and was destined for Billings, Montana.

The pilot, who had a total of 7000 hours of flight experience of which 650 was in the Cessna 180, reported that he took off westbound on a "private gravel strip" into strong westerly winds ("20 knots with possible gusts to 30 knots"). He reported that the aircraft gained altitude rapidly during the initial climb and that "at approximately 300-400 feet AGL, I started a turn to the left and lower(ed) the nose to build airspeed."

The pilot also reported that "as I turned base leg and then downwind the airplane started to drop in altitude" and that "there was no warning(s), no stall horn, buffet, mushiness or slowing of airspeed." The pilot reported utilizing full power at the time and also reported no powerplant problems.

Sheriff Steve K. Knecht, Judith Basin County, Montana, who responded to the accident, reported that the aircraft took off westbound from a single lane, gravel service road which terminates at the intersection of the north/south county road linking Denton to Moccasin and becomes and east/west county road at the intersection proceeding westbound to Stanford (refer to Chart I and photograph 01).

It was not known where on the road the aircraft began its takeoff roll, but it was believed to be somewhere between the Savelle ranch and a point abeam where the aircraft came to rest, a distance of approximately 1500 feet. The aircraft was observed to have come to rest at a point 150 to 200 yards south of the east/west service road and approximately 200 yards east of the north/south county road. The longitudinal axis of the aircraft was oriented roughly north/south with the nose pointed north and gouges/ground slide scars were observed progressing north 50 to 100 yards back to the initial ground impact scar (refer to photograph 02).

The sheriff reported that a power line existed along the south edge of the east/west service road and the height of the power line was estimated to be 25-30 feet AGL based on the Sheriff's report of the adjacent fence posts being 4 feet in height (refer to photograph 01). The distance between these lines and the initial ground impact site was approximately 100 yards.