- Date
- August 7, 1995, 08:00 local (14:00 UTC)
- Place
- Ennis, MT
- Injuries
- 5 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N777FNCessna TU206F
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 8, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950807022329A
- Case key
- 42213
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 inaccurate weather evaluation and continued flight into adverse weather. The microburst was a factor.
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
While on approach to a private airport the pilot noted thunderstorm clouds and virga from the associated cloud bases. He continued his approach and when approximately 1/4 mile on final encountered a strong downdraft and the aircraft's ground speed dropped off rapidly. The aircraft descended vertically impacting the ground and incurring substantial damage.
Factual narrative
On August 7, 1995, approximately 0800 hours mountain daylight time, a Cessna TU206F, N777FN, sustained substantial damage when it collided with terrain after encountering strong downdrafts while on approach to the Sportsman's private airport, Ennis, Montana. The commercial pilot and four passengers were uninjured. Variable meteorological conditions existed and no flight plan had been filed. The flight, which was personal, was to have been operated under 14CFR91, and originated from Ennis approximately 0740 hours. The pilot reported in a telephone interview that he was executing a visual approach to a southerly landing after having taken friends for a local flight. He reported that while approaching the private airport he observed thunderstorm clouds nearby and virga coming from the base of the clouds. While approximately one-quarter mile on final, and in the vicinity of power lines, the aircraft suddenly descended vertically impacting the ground. The pilot reported that the indicated airspeed was 100 knots but that the ground speed dropped to zero.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N777FN
- Reported as
- Cessna TU206F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- U20602832
- Airframe hours
- 3,890
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520M, 310 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Iverson, Paul, E.
- Registered owner
- Singleton, James, L.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 12, 1995 · 150 hours before
- Departed
- S55
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
- 46
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 12,400 total · 1,700 in this make and model · 12,400 as pilot in command · 210 in the last 90 days · 85 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BZN, 35 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.