NTSB CAROL · Event
Event DEN85FA048
Aircraft involved
Factual narrative
ON DEC 23, 1984, A NON INSTRUMENT RATED PVT PLT CRASHED INTO THE GROUND NEAR THE ARPT AT BILLINGS, MT KILLING ALL THREE OCCUPANTS ONBOARD. WX CONDITIONS AT THE TIME WERE INDEFINITE CEILING 100 FT SKY OBSCURED, 1/2 VIS WITH SNOW AND FOG. THEPLT RECEIVED PRIOR WX BRIEFINGS PRIOR TO DEPARTURE AND FILED AN IFR. SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTURE, THE AC WAS OBSERVED ON RADAR TO BE MEANDERING OVER THE ARPT. LOCAL EAR WITNESSES HEARD THE AC IN A COUPLE OF SPIRAL TYPE TURNS BEFORE CRASHING.EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THAT THE VERITICAL, HORIZONTAL STABILIZERS AND RIGHT WING SEPARATED INFLT JUST PRIOR TO IMPACT WITH THE GROUND. THE PLT & HIS FAMILY WERE GOING TO PHOENIX, AZ TO SPEND XMAS WITH HIS FAMILY. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
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NTSB_1984_DEN85FA048.txt.
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