Billings Logan Int'l Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Billings, Montana 59100
Sunday, December 23, 1984 11:18 MST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

ON DEC 23, 1984, A NON INSTRUMENT RATED PVT PLT CRASHED INTO THE GROUND NEAR THE ARPT AT BILLINGS, MT KILLING ALL THREE OCCUPANTS ONBOARD. WX CONDITIONS AT THE TIME WERE INDEFINITE CEILING 100 FT SKY OBSCURED, 1/2 VIS WITH SNOW AND FOG. THEPLT RECEIVED PRIOR WX BRIEFINGS PRIOR TO DEPARTURE AND FILED AN IFR. SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTURE, THE AC WAS OBSERVED ON RADAR TO BE MEANDERING OVER THE ARPT. LOCAL EAR WITNESSES HEARD THE AC IN A COUPLE OF SPIRAL TYPE TURNS BEFORE CRASHING.EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THAT THE VERITICAL, HORIZONTAL STABILIZERS AND RIGHT WING SEPARATED INFLT JUST PRIOR TO IMPACT WITH THE GROUND. THE PLT & HIS FAMILY WERE GOING TO PHOENIX, AZ TO SPEND XMAS WITH HIS FAMILY.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 12/23/1984
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1118
Event Time Zone Mountain Standard Time
Event City BILLINGS
Event State MONTANA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 59100
Event Date Year 1984
Event Date Month 12
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport BILLINGS LOGAN INT'L
Event Location Nearest Airport ID BIL
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 2
Degrees magnetic from airport 300
Airport Elevation 3649
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1054 Mountain Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 300
Weather Observation Facility ID BIL
Elevation of weather observation facility 3649
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 2
Time Zone of the weather observation MST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 100
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Obscured
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 0
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) -16
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -17
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 30
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 9
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 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 3
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 3
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 3108
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 27080
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 9:15AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N2024M
NTSB Number DEN85FA048
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed IFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-32-300
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-32-300
Aircraft Serial Number 32-7840037
Certified Max Gross Weight 3400
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 7
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 --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Unknown
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name JEFFREY LINN STRICKLAND
Aircraft Owner Street Address 2203 VIRGINIA LANE,
Aircraft Owner City BILLINGS
Aircraft Owner State MT
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 59102
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 Yes
Departure Airport Code BIL
Departure City BILLINGS
Departure State MT
Departure Country
Departure Time 1110
Departure Time Zone MST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code RIV
Destination City RIVERTON
Destination State WY
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:36AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 9
Runway Length 10500
Runway Width 150
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --