Cessna 177B N35147

Summary

On 20 January 1982 at about 02:15 local time, a Cessna 177B registered N35147, operated by Norgaard Farms, was involved in an accident near Wolf Pt., Montana, United States. 3 people were on board and one died, 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

20 January 1982 at 02:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Wolf Pt., Montana, United States

Coordinates

48.2808, -105.6592

Aircraft

Cessna 177B

Registration

N35147

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Norgaard Farms

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Billings → Popular

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

Unk

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

DEN82FTA09

1 person died.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE ENCOUNTERED A SNOW SQUALL WHILE CRUISING AT 5000 FT MSL ON A VFR FLIGHT PLAN AT NIGHT. HE STATED THAT HE DESCENDED TO 4000 FT MSL TO TRY TO GET UNDER THE SQUALL AND CONTINUE. HE WAS UNABLE TO REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED AFTER DESCENDING TO 4000 FT MSL. THE PLANE WAS FOUND AND THE SURVIVORS WERE RESCUED WITHIN TWO HOURS AFTER THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRCRAFT HAD CRASHED ON LEVEL, SNOW COVERED TERRAIN AND CONTINUED ABOUT 300 FT AFTER IMPACT. AN INSPECTION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED NO PREIMPACT MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE OF THE FLIGHT CONTROLS OR ENGINE. LOCAL RESIDENTS ESTIMATED THE VISIBILITY FROM LESS THEN ONE MILE TO THREE MILES WITH SNOW FALLING AND BLOWING. THE WIND CHILL FACTOR WAS ABOUT MINUS 50 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. THE PILOT WAS NOT CERTIFICATED TO FLY AT NIGHT. THE ELEVATION OF THE CRASH SITE WAS ABOUT 2200 FT MSL.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.