Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Lincoln, Montana 59693
Sunday, May 30, 2010 8:30 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The instrument-rated pilot was on a visual-flight-rules cross-country flight over mountainous terrain in instrument meteorological conditions. The airplane was one of a flight of twelve participating in a guided air tour. Approximately 20 minutes after takeoff, the pilot of the accident airplane reported that he was encountering clouds at 8,500 feet and had received a global-positioning-system low-altitude alert. Minutes later there was an indistinct radio transmission believed to be the accident pilot; the transmission was followed by a radio transmission believed to be the passenger of the accident airplane who stated they had a problem and the airplane had hit trees. Scattered to broken cloud layers existed between 7,000 to 7,500 feet, with rain and mountain obscuration in the area of the accident. The wreckage was located in steep tree-covered terrain at 6,780 feet. Multiple trees with fresh slash marks were noted in the area of the wreckage. Postaccident examination of the aircraft wreckage showed no evidence of a preimpact mechanical malfunction or failure.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot’s decision to continue flight into an area of low ceilings and low visibility and his failure to maintain sufficient clearance from mountainous terrain.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/30/2010 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 830 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | Lincoln |
| Event State | MONTANA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 59693 |
| Event Date Year | 2010 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 470032N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1124909W |
| 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 | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 853 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 128 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KHLN |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 3877 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 42 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 5000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 7 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 3 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | -- |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 28472 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA SEA ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 23 2011 6:51PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N44MC |
| NTSB Number | WPR10FA273 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| 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 | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-34-220T |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 34-8133095 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 4570 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | 2 |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 7 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 7 2010 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 3851 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Yes |
| ELT Type | C126 |
| Aircraft Owner Name | R & D AVIATION INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | HUNTINGTON WOODS |
| Aircraft Owner State | MI |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 48070-1733 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Marc A. Dobrowitsky |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | HUNTINGTON WOODS |
| Operator State | MI |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 48070-1733 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| 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 | HLN |
| Departure City | Helena |
| Departure State | MT |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 812 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | CYXC |
| Destination City | Cranbrook BC |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | CA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 23 2011 6:51PM |
| User who most recently changed record | stam |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |