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Atlas / NTSB / DEN85FTI02

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event DEN85FTI02

1985-02-24 FORT BENTON, Montana, United States Airport · 79S None 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Registry · N155LB

FAA Aircraft Registry record.

Make / Model

YAKOVLEV YAK-55M

Year of manufacture

1987

Engine

AMA/EXPR UNKNOWN ENG

Seats / Engines

1 seats · 1 engine

Last airworthiness date

20000404

ADS-B equipped

Yes — Mode-S A0DDBE

Registrant of record

MAENIUS NELSON D

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Factual narrative

THE ACFT CONTACTED A DIRT BANK DURING A FORCED LANDING IN A FIELD FOLLOWING A LOSS OF PWR SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF. A LANDING WAS MADE AT FORT BENTON ARPT WHERE THE ACFT WAS SERVICED WITH 11.85 GALLONS OF 100 OCT AVGAS. POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE ACFT REVEALED WATER CONTAMINATION IN THE CARBURETOR BOWL AND FUEL SYSTEM. A 1 QT JAR WAS FILLED WITH FUEL FROM THE FUEL LINE TO THE CARBURETOR. A 17/32 INCH LAYER OF AVGAS WAS PRESENT ON TOP OF WATER WHICH FILLED THE REMAINING PORTION OF THE JAR. THE ACFT WAS REFUELED FROM AN UNDERGROUND TANK. THERE WAS NO FILTERIZATION ELEMENT ON THE REFUELING EQUIPMENT. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1985_DEN85FTI02.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.