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| Date: | Sunday 5 January 1997 |
| Time: | 20:30 LT |
| Type: |  Piper PA-28R |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N3347Q |
| MSN: | 28R-7703104 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 4452 hours |
| Engine model: | Continental TSIO-360-FB1 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Fort Smith, MT -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Billings, MT (KBIL) |
| Gillette, WY (KGCC) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
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.
Probable Cause: 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.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB SEA97FA043
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2008 10:30 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:23 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency, ] |
| 08-Apr-2024 17:16 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report, ] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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