Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Columbus Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Columbus, Montana 59019
Friday, June 4, 2004 19:20 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot reported that thunderstorms and showers were moving through the area at the time with a strong crosswind present. The pilot flew around the area for about 30 minutes then returned for landing. The pilot attempted one landing to runway 28 with no flaps extended, but because of too high an airspeed, initiated a go-around. During the second attempt with one notch of flaps extended, the aircraft touched down, and the pilot was maintaining directional control until the tail touched down and a strong gust of wind from the left hit the aircraft. The pilot was having difficulty maintaining directional control so he increased power to go-around. The engine momentarily hesitated and the aircraft began to travel to the right side, heading off the runway surface at about a 45 degree angle toward airport hangars. The aircraft traveled through the median and taxiway ramp before becoming airborne. Just prior to colliding with the first hangar, the pilot banked the airplane to the left, however, the right wing clipped the corner of the hangar. The aircraft continued on for another about 50 yards before colliding into the roof of a second hangar. Witnesses reported that the strong gusting wind was out of the south at about 15 to 20 knots with thunderstorms in the area
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the aircraft during the landing and subsequent go-around. Inadequate compensation for the gusting winds and an airport hangar were factors.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/4/2004 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1920 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | Columbus |
| Event State | MONTANA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 59019 |
| Event Date Year | 2004 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | -- |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | -- |
| Event Location Latitude | 453700N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1091436W |
| Event Location Airport | Columbus |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 6S3 |
| 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 | 3575 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1856 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 57 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | BIL |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 3652 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 31 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 8500 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 24 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 8 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 30 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.06 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 2 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 16435 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Regional Operations Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 4 2004 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1915 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 29 2004 1:02PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Helena, Montana |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N82172 |
| NTSB Number | SEA04LA098 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-18-150 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 18-7909064 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1750 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Feb 2 2004 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 74 |
| Airframe Hours | 702 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Randall L. Braten |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Cody |
| Aircraft Owner State | WY |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 82414 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| 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? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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 | -- |
| Departure City | Pryor |
| Departure State | MT |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1830 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | 6S3 |
| Destination City | Columbus |
| Destination State | MT |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Go-around (VFR) |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 5 2004 12:35PM |
| User who most recently changed record | STAM |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 28 |
| Runway Length | 3814 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |