Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Billings Logan Intl Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Billings, Montana 59105
Wednesday, April 16, 1997 8:23 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The private pilot, who was acting as pilot-in-command, reported that during the approach for landing, the aircraft encountered turbulence and wind shear conditions. The pilot opted to go-around and asked the flight instructor to take over the controls to make the landing because the flight instructor had more time in the airplane. The flight instructor stated that he made an approach to another runway, and reported a normal approach for the cross wind conditions. The flight instructor reported that as the airplane was flaring, the right wing lifted and the left wing contacted the runway. The flight instructor tried to correct with power and right rudder and aileron control, however, the airplane veered to the left and tipped up onto its nose. At the time of the accident the airplane was landing with a quartering crosswind from the right at 16 knots. Air traffic communications indicate that neither the pilots in the accident airplane, or the other private and commercial aircraft taking off and landing reported turbulence or wind shear conditions to the controller.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The flight instructor's inadequate compensation for the wind conditions. The crosswind conditions were a factor.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/16/1997 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 823 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | BILLINGS |
| Event State | MONTANA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 59105 |
| Event Date Year | 1997 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | BILLINGS LOGAN INTL |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | BIL |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 3649 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 756 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | BIL |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 3649 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 6 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 210 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 17 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 344 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 16 1997 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 813 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 12:14PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N70194 |
| NTSB Number | SEA97LA087 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Cessna |
| Aircraft Model | A185E |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | A185E |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 18502047 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3350 |
| 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 | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 30 1996 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 17 |
| Airframe Hours | 1333 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | PAULA J. KURKOWSKI |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. BOX 819 |
| Aircraft Owner City | MILES CITY |
| Aircraft Owner State | MT |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 59301 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | ALVIN HIRSCH |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | P.O. BOX 189 |
| Operator City | ANGELA |
| Operator State | MT |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 59312 |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | MLS |
| Departure City | MILES CITY |
| Departure State | MT |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 715 |
| 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 | Landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:30AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 16 |
| Runway Length | 4945 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |