- Date
- March 22, 1998, 17:00 local (Mar 23, 1998, 00:00 UTC)
- Place
- Laurel, MT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N177MTCessna 177A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 8, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980323004049A
- Case key
- 42764
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 excessive descent rate on final, and improper recovery from a bounced landing.
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 was practicing touch-and-go landings in a crosswind. On the second landing, the airplane developed an excessive sink rate on final, hit hard and bounced into the air. The pilot added full power to go around but did not reach flying speed. The airplane drifted off to the left side of the runway and impacted the terrain.
Factual narrative
On March 22, 1998, approximately 1700 mountain standard time, a Cessna 177A, N177MT, owned and flown by a private pilot, was substantially damaged during collision with terrain following a loss of control during a touch and go landing. The pilot, who was the sole occupant on board, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed. The flight, which was a proficiency flight operated under 14CFR91, had originated from the Billings, MT airport about 1640.
During a telephone interview and later written statement, the pilot said that the purpose of the flight was to practice touch and go landings in a crosswind. The first landing was made to runway 04 and the winds were determined to be pretty much down the runway, so the second landing was made to runway 32. On this landing, the airplane hit hard and bounced into the air. The pilot added full power to go around but did not reach flying speed. The airplane drifted off to the left side of the runway and impacted the terrain. The pilot stated that he believed he allowed an excess sink rate to develop as he crossed the threshold.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N177MT
- Reported as
- Cessna 177A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17701298
- Airframe hours
- 1,336
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1F, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- Scott J. Newpower
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 15, 1997 · 35 hours before
- Departed
- BIL · Billings, MT
- Airport
- 6S8 · Laurel Muni, runway 32, 2,695 × 50 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
- 33
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 129 total · 33 in this make and model · 103 as pilot in command · 35 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 40° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 9,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BIL, 11 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.