- Date
- June 5, 2024, 15:45 local (21:45 UTC)
- Place
- Butte, MT · Bert Mooney Airport
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N87583Republic RC-3
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20240605009289A
- Case key
- 194403
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 the takeoff with a gusty left quartering crosswind.
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 during takeoff, the airplane was about 5 ft above the ground when it encountered a gust of wind from the left, which pushed the airplane to the left and it impacted the ground. During the accident sequence, the left wing struck the ground, which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing. At the time of the accident, the pilot was departing runway 33, and the wind was from 310° at 16 knots, gusting to 27 knots. The pilot reported there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N87583
- Reported as
- Republic RC-3
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 151
- Built
- 1946
- Airframe hours
- 1,506
- Engine
- Lycoming GSO&IGSO-480, 340 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 30, 2024 · 50 hours before
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- BTM · Bert Mooney, runway 15/33, 9,000 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS, Satellite tracking device
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
- 80
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 1, 2021
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 2,000 total · 1,500 in this make and model · 2,000 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 16 knots, gusting 27
- Visibility
- 9 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.09 inHg
- Turbulence
- Severe
- Observed at
- KBTM, 1 nm away
- METAR
- KBTM 052153Z AUTO 31016G27KT 9SM CLR 22/M03 A3009 RMK AO2 PK WND 32027/2153 SLP143 T02171033 $
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 2, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.6 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N87583 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.