Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Great Falls, Montana 59414
Thursday, May 19, 1994 17:45 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
WHILE MANEUVERING IN AN AREA WHERE THE CLOUDS HAD LOWERED TO SOME OF THE RIDGES, THE PILOT OF THE SPITFIRE BECAME SEPARATED FROM THE ACCOMPANYING AIRCRAFT. AT THE POINT OF SEPARATION, THE PILOT OF THE ACCOMPANYING AIRCRAFT EXECUTED A CLIMB THROUGH INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC), TO VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (VMC) ABOVE. AFTER DISCUSSING THEIR REJOIN OPTIONS, THE SPITFIRE PILOT ELECTED TO ATTEMPT AN IMC CLIMB TO REJOIN THE OTHER AIRCRAFT ABOVE THE CLOUDS. DURING HIS CLIMB IN THE WORLD WAR II VINTAGE FIGHTER, WHICH WAS NOT CERTIFICATED FOR INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES (IFR) OPERATION, THE PILOT LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND DESCENDED INTO THE TERRAIN.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRCRAFT CONTROL WHILE IN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC). FACTORS INCLUDE THE PILOT'S POOR INFLIGHT DECISION TO ATTEMPT AN IMC CLIMB IN AN AIRCRAFT NOT CERTIFIED FOR INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES (IFR) OPERATION, AND HIS OVERCONFIDENCE IN THE AIRCRAFT'S IMC CAPABILITIES. OTHER FACTORS INCLUDE LOW CLOUDS ALONG THE ROUTE OF FLIGHT.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/19/1994 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1745 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | GREAT FALLS |
| Event State | MONTANA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 59414 |
| Event Date Year | 1994 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1750 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 255 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | GTF |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 3674 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 41 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 3200 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 1600 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 35 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 12 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 9 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 50 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 12 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 614 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 20 1994 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 600 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 6 2000 11:17AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N41702 |
| NTSB Number | SEA94LA122 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | VICKERS |
| Aircraft Model | SPITFIRE MARK XVIII |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | SPITFIRE M |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 65676390 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 7000 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 1 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Nov 23 1993 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 20 |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | MILITARY A/C RESTORATION, INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2099 S STATE COLLEGE BLVD. |
| Aircraft Owner City | ANAHEIM |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 92806 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | BREIT, BEST, RICHMAND, BOSCH, |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 1512 LARIMER ST. SUITE 900 |
| Operator City | DENVER |
| Operator State | CO |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 80202 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | BIL |
| Departure City | BILLINGS |
| Departure State | MT |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1648 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Climb |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |