Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Billings Logan International Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Billings, Montana 59105
Sunday, October 17, 2004 22:14 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
During a night instrument landing system (ILS) approach to minimums, two low altitude alerts were issued by the air traffic controller to the pilot of the airplane. Following the second alert, the pilot executed a missed approach and reported instrument flags. During the climb, the pilot found that the landing gear would not retract. He recycled the gear and attempted to lower it manually; however, he was unable to get a green light for the right main landing gear. He requested to proceed to another airport and upon arriving there executed an ILS approach without any problems. During the landing roll, the right main landing gear collapsed. Examination of the airplane revealed that the upper drag brace for the right main landing gear was torn away from the spar. Examination of the roof of a gun club building, located about 1.65 miles from the runway threshold (at the airport where the pilot executed a missed approach) and 607 feet left of centerline, revealed two impact marks spaced about 14 feet apart, a distance corresponding to the main gear width of the airplane. Additionally, landing gear drag brace pieces identified as coming from the airplane were found about 80 yards from the building. The elevation of the building roof was about 35 feet below the decision height for the approach, indicating the airplane had descended below decision height prior to reaching the middle marker. The FAA conducted a flight inspection of the ILS and found the facility operation to be satisfactory. The navigational equipment in the accident airplane was tested, and no anomalies were found that would have affected an ILS approach.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the pilot's failure to follow the instrument approach procedure, which resulted in a premature descent below the decision height and subsequent collision with a building.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/17/2004 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 2214 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | Billings |
| Event State | MONTANA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 59105 |
| Event Date Year | 2004 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 454828N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1083234W |
| Event Location Airport | Billings Logan International |
| 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 | 280 |
| Airport Elevation | 3652 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2156 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 100 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | BIL |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 3652 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 2 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Night |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 100 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Indefinite (V V) |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 0.25 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 1 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 10 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.6 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Light |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 17366 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Oct 18 2004 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 700 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 24 2005 9:13AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Helena, MT |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N955AA |
| NTSB Number | SEA05LA010 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Beech |
| Aircraft Model | 99A |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | U128 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 10900 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | AAIP |
| Date of Last Inspection | Aug 18 2004 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 121 |
| Airframe Hours | 32810 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Alpine Air Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1177 Alpine Air Way |
| Aircraft Owner City | Provo |
| Aircraft Owner State | UT |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 84601 |
| 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 | TIMA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | -- |
| 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 | Non-scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Cargo |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | -- |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | GTF |
| Departure City | Great Falls |
| Departure State | MT |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 2130 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | BIL |
| Destination City | Billings |
| Destination State | MT |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach - Initial approach fix (IAF) to final approach fix (FAF)/outer marker (IFR) |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | -- |
| User who most recently changed record | -- |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 10L |
| Runway Length | 10518 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |