- Date
- September 24, 2010, 17:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- White Sulphur Springs, MT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Uncontrolled descent
- Aircraft
- N4036EPiper PA-18-150
- Defining event
- Uncontrolled descent: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 16, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- Case key
- 77396
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 failure to maintain control of the airplane during a go-around in turbulent wind conditions, which resulted in a collision with trees.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that he planned on landing his tailwheel-equipped airplane in an open field in front of a friend's mountain cabin. The pilot made his first approach to the landing area, dragging the airplane's wheels across the landing area to test the roughness of the terrain before landing. The pilot then initiated a go-around and planned on landing during the next pass. Immediately upon initiating the go-around, the pilot reported that he encountered severe turbulence over the tree-populated terrain outside the periphery of his landing area. The turbulence forced the airplane down through the trees and into the ground. The pilot egressed the cockpit and the airplane was consumed by a post-impact fire. The pilot stated that the airplane had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he planned on landing his single-engine, tail wheel equipped, airplane in an open field in front of a friend's mountain cabin. The pilot made his first approach to the landing area and "dragged" his wheels across the landing area to test the roughness of the terrain before landing. The pilot then initiated a go-around and planned on landing during the next pass. Immediately upon initiating the go-around the pilot reported that he encountered severe turbulence over the tree populated terrain outside the periphery of his landing area. The turbulence forced the airplane down through the trees and into the ground. The pilot egressed the cockpit and the airplane was consumed by a post impact fire. The pilot stated that the airplane and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4036E
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-7809042
- Airframe hours
- 5,380
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Gaston Gerald M
- Registered owner
- Gaston Gerald M
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 14, 2009
- Departed
- KBZN · Bozeman, MT
- Destination
- White Sulphur Springs, 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
- 67
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3
- Last flight review
- February 1, 2010
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 5,900 total · 1,800 in this make and model · 35 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 11 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.20 inHg
- Observed at
- KHLN, 46 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 20, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 351 KB in all.
Other investigations on N4036E · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.