Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Elkhorn, Montana 59632
Sunday, March 18, 1990 12:47 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE FLIGHT FLEW LOW AND SLOW UP A STEEP CANYON. THE PILOT SAID THE FLIGHT ENCOUNTERED A STRONG DOWNDRIFT AND COULD NOT MAINTAIN ALTITUDE WITH FULL POWER APPLIED. THE PILOT SAID THE CANYON WALLS CLIMBED STEEPLY AND NARROWED RAPIDLY, PREVENTING HIM FROM TURNING BACK OUT OF THE CANYON. THE PLANE NOSED DOWN INTO THE TREES, WEDGED AGAINST A TREE TRUNK, AND CAME TO REST 8 FEET OFF THE GROUND IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE. THE PILOT SAID THE RIGHT WING, FUSELAGE AND THE PROPELLER WERE BENT. THE PILOT SAID HE SHOULD HAVE SELECTED A HIGHER ALTITUDE AND NOT FLOWN UP THE CANYON.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT'S DECISION TO ATTEMPT FLIGHT IN TERRAIN AND CONDITIONS WHICH EXCEEDED THE PERFORMANCE CAPABILITIES OF THE AIRPLANE.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/18/1990 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1247 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | ELKHORN |
| Event State | MONTANA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 59632 |
| Event Date Year | 1990 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | NONE |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 25000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 20 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -18 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -18 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 180 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 0 |
| 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 | 3 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 623 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 18 1990 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1340 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 41627 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 18 2002 11:28AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\GIUV |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N61918 |
| NTSB Number | DEN90LA075 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | 172 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | 172 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 17264884 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2300 |
| 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 | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 0 |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | UNKNOWN |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | |
| Aircraft Owner City | |
| Aircraft Owner State | |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | HELENA AIRCRAFT INC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 2718 AIRPORT ROAD |
| Operator City | HELENA |
| Operator State | MT |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 59601 |
| 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 | HLN |
| Departure City | HELENA |
| Departure State | MT |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1230 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | HLN |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM |
| 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 | -- |