# NTSB WPR25FA252: Vans RV-7A, N30SG, West Glacier, MT, August 12, 2025

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Fatal · Class 3 · Field · Preliminary report
- Date: August 12, 2025, 14:57 local (20:57 UTC)
- Place: West Glacier, MT · airport environment
- Coordinates: 48.483056, -113.95944 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=48.4831&lon=-113.9594&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Landing-aborted after touchdown: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470)
- Highest injury: Fatal
- Injuries: 1 fatal
- Status: Investigation ongoing
- Investigation class: Class 3
- NTSB office: Western Pacific Region
- Parties: Federal Aviation Administration
- NTSB case key (mKey): 200770
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=WPR25FA252
- NTSB preliminary report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/200770/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR25FA252

## Preliminary report

On August 12, 2025, about 1457 mountain daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Vans RV-7A N30SG, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near West Glacier, Montana. The pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Multiple witnesses located at Ryan Field Airport (2MT1), West Glacier, Montana, reported that the airplane was attempting to land on runway 15. On the first attempt, the airplane bounced on the runway twice before the pilot initiated a go-around. During the go-around, the pilot radioed that the airplane's oil temperature was high, and he was going to fly around the area to cool the oil before attempting to land again. On the second attempt to land, the airplane bounced on the runway, and the pilot initiated another go-around. During the go-around, the right wing impacted a tree to the right of the runway. The airplane rolled inverted and impacted terrain in a nose down attitude. The witnesses reported that during the accident go around, the airplane appeared to be stable, and the engine was at high rpm and sounded normal. One of the witnesses recalled seeing the flaps extended during the climb out. Examination of the accident site revealed that the airplane came to rest in a near vertical attitude in a wooded area about 100 ft west of the runway centerline and about 1,720 ft from the approach end of runway 15. The first identified point of contact (FIPC) was a damaged tree about 245 ft north of the main wreckage and 75 ft west of the runway centerline. The airplane struck the tree about 55 ft above ground level. Downed sections of the damaged tree were located near the FIPC, one of which displayed impact scars with small fragments of composite fairing and the airplane’s transponder antenna. A review of the preliminary ADS-B data revealed that the flight departed from Kalispell City Airport (S27), Kalispell, Montana, about 1325 and flew toward 2MT1. Upon arrival near 2MT1, the airplane orbited the airfield multiple times. The flight track data ended about 1sm northwest of the airport. At that time, the airplane was on a northerly heading at an altitude of about 4,375 ft above mean sea level. The wreckage was recovered for further examination.

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Landing-aborted after touchdown: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470) (defining event); cases with it: [Nevada Flyboys LLP RV-7A, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=05633UJ), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md)

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N30SG](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N30SG), registered now, S/N 71130, built 2014 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: VANS RV-7A
- Registry model: [Nevada Flyboys LLP RV-7A](https://openairdocs.org/model/nevada-flyboys-llp-rv-7a) (registry code 05633UJ) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Mattituck TMX-360](https://openairdocs.org/engine/mattituck-tmx-360) (registry code 59602, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number: 71130
- Year built: 2014
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Airport: 2MT1, Ryan Fld

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 84 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter: 29.90 inHg
- Observed at: KGPI, 16 nm away
- METAR: KGPI 121955Z 10SM CLR 29/11 A2990 RMK AO2 SLP102 T02940106

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 20250812013219A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250812013219A), Aug 12, 2025: Nevada Flyboys Llp RV-7A, West Glacier, MT, Destroyed, 1 fatal. On 12 August, 2025 at 15:07 local time, an RV-7A airplane hit a tree and crashed resulting in the death of the pilot who was the sole occupant during a…

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

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