Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Canyon Creek, Montana 59633
Sunday, June 7, 1998 9:45 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
Prior to takeoff, the pilot received a weather briefing for his proposed route of flight. The specialist reported low ceilings and mountain obscuration along the route, and suggested a route of flight away from the mountains and poor weather conditions. The pilot filed a visual flight rules flight plan for his original route. Approaching his destination, the pilot contacted air traffic and advised that he needed assistance in locating an airport that was clear of the weather, as he was on top of an overcast layer and could not see the ground. The controller informed the pilot of the multiple cloud layers in the area and to remain in visual conditions. With the aid of other pilots in the area who were reporting actual weather conditions, the controller was maneuvering the aircraft to an area where he might be able to get below the overcast layer. While en route, the pilot notified the controller that he saw a hole and was going to try and punch through it. Shortly after this time, the aircraft dropped off radar contact and there was no further communication from the pilot. Evidence found at the accident site indicated that the aircraft broke-up in flight. The low-time, non-instrument rated pilot had just purchased the airplane and had not received the complex aircraft sign-off for solo operation.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The design stress limits of the aircraft was exceeded. The pilot's inadequate preflight planning/preparation, lack of an instrument rating, poor weather evaluation and low ceilings and mountain obscuration were factors.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/7/1998 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 945 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | CANYON CREEK |
| Event State | MONTANA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 59633 |
| Event Date Year | 1998 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| 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 | 956 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 126 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | HLN |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 3874 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 16 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 2300 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 2300 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Thin Broken |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 6 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 9 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 7 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Light |
| 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) | 1233 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 7 1998 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 945 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 11:33AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N1048B |
| NTSB Number | SEA98FA089 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Mooney |
| Aircraft Model | M20A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | M20A |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1275 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2450 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 14 1998 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 10 |
| Airframe Hours | 2992 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | THOMAS A. BERWAGER |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2270 MOCKINGBIRD RD |
| Aircraft Owner City | HARRISBURG |
| Aircraft Owner State | PA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 17112 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| 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 | LWS |
| Departure City | LEWISTON |
| Departure State | ID |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 645 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | GTF |
| Destination City | GREAT FALLS |
| Destination State | MT |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| 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 | -- |