Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Bozeman Gallatin Field Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Belgrade, Montana 59714
Monday, August 30, 2010 7:56 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The non-instrument rated pilot departed for a cross-country flight with weather forecasts along the route of flight and destination airport predicting widespread areas of ceilings below 1,000 feet and visibilities below 3 miles in rain showers. Mountain obscuration in clouds and precipitation was also forecasted. Weather reports from the closest airport about 8 miles from the accident site showed rapidly changing visibility and cloud coverage conditions, with ceilings as low as 500 feet and visibility of 1 mile in heavy rain showers at the time of the accident. Several witnesses were located within a 5-mile radius of the accident site and either heard or saw the accident airplane. Two witnesses reported observing the accident airplane seconds prior to observing it disappear from their view and impacting the ground. One witness saw the airplane descending vertically to ground impact. Other witnesses only heard what they described as the loud engine sound of a very low flying airplane. Witnesses reported that, at the time of their observation, there were low clouds overhead about 200 feet above ground level and light rain was falling. Postaccident examination of the accident site and wreckage revealed that the airplane impacted into an open field while in a near vertical nose down attitude. It is likely that the pilot entered into instrument meteorological conditions and failed to maintain airplane control. There was no record of official weather briefings, but the pilot may have obtained an unofficial weather brief from another source for the flight. Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The non-instrument rated pilot's decision to continue visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in a loss of airplane control.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 8/30/2010 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 756 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | Belgrade |
| Event State | MONTANA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 59714 |
| Event Date Year | 2010 |
| Event Date Month | 8 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 454102N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1111544W |
| Event Location Airport | Bozeman Gallatin Field |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | KBZN |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 8 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 4471 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 727 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 30 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KBZN |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 4471 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 8 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 500 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | -- |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 1 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 11 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 8 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 280 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.86 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 30796 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA NM Comm Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 25 2013 10:58AM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8957T |
| NTSB Number | WPR10FA438 |
| 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 | CESSNA |
| Aircraft Model | 182C |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 52857 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2800 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| 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 | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 15 2010 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 4810 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Ikarus Aviation, LLC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Salt Lake City |
| Aircraft Owner State | UT |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 84106 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Ikarus Aviation, LLC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Salt Lake City |
| Operator State | UT |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 84106 |
| 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) | Business |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | ODG |
| Departure City | Ogden |
| Departure State | UT |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 500 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | BZN |
| Destination City | Bozeman |
| Destination State | MT |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 30 2012 12:21AM |
| 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 | -- |