Boeing E75 N5176N

Summary

On 14 July 2013 at about 15:30 local time, a Boeing E75 registered N5176N was involved in an accident near Bozeman, Montana, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

14 July 2013 at 15:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Bozeman, Montana, United States

Nearest airport

Bozeman Yellowstone (BZM)

Coordinates

45.7775, -111.1519

Aircraft

Boeing E75

Registration

N5176N

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bozeman → Bozeman

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR13CA325

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed during a turn, which resulted in a loss of lift and collision with terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he and the pilot-rated passenger, departed from the turf runway in calm wind conditions. During the initial climb, the airplane’s climb rate was not as expected and he attributed this degraded climb performance to likely being the result of the addition of the passenger’s weight. Upon reaching 200 feet above ground level (agl), the pilot began a 180-degree turn to the north in an effort to gain altitude while avoiding maneuvering over obstacles and a more densely populated area. As the airplane entered the bank, the pilot felt a degradation in performance despite indications that both the engine power and airspeed were adequate. The airplane was not maintaining altitude and in an effort to avoid colliding into a subdivision, the pilot increased the bank angle. The airplane subsequently collided into terrain and came to rest in a ditch adjacent to the airport’s perimeter fence. During the accident sequence the airplane sustained damage to the wings and empennage. The pilot further stated that he believed the airplane’s descent during the turn was a result of either of the following: a downdraft, too high angle-of-attack attitude, or possible decrease in engine power output. He reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The passenger opined that the accident was a result of the airspeed being too slow for the steep bank angle.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.