Piper PA-28R N3347Q

Summary

On 6 January 1997 at about 02:30 local time, a Piper PA-28R registered N3347Q, operated by Jeffrey M. Pfau, was involved in an accident near Fort Smith, Montana, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

6 January 1997 at 02:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Fort Smith, Montana, United States

Coordinates

45.2406, -107.9303

Aircraft

Piper PA-28R

Registration

N3347Q

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Jeffrey M. Pfau

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Billings → Gillette

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

SEA97FA043

2 people died.

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from terrain. Factors include the pilot inadvertently becoming lost/disoriented, the dark night (minimum ambient light), and mountainous/hilly terrain.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

Although the aircraft initially tracked within the lateral boundaries of a Victor airway during the dark night VFR flight from Billings, Montana, to Gillette, Wyoming, the pilot later veered off course and entered mountainous/hilly terrain. While in cruise flight, the aircraft impacted densely forested rising terrain at 7,800 feet MSL in a near-wings-level attitude.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.