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DEN90LA014

1989-10-27 · OPHEIM, Montana, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN TERRAIN CLEARANCE WHILE EXECUTING A LOW PASS.

Factual narrative

THE PILOT STATED HE AND THE PAX WERE EN ROUTE TO OPEIM, MT, WHEN HE EXPERIENCED AN ENGINE FAILURE. HE EXECUTED AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN AN OPEN FIELD AND THE AIRPLANE NOSED OVER. POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF A MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE THAT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED NORMAL ENGINE OPERATION. SEVERAL 'SPENT' RIFLE CARTRIDGES WERE FOUND IN THE AIRPLANE. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THE FLAPS WERE IN THE UP POSITION AT THE TIME OF IMPACT. THE IMPACT MARKS REVEALED THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN, STRUCK A RAVINE, BECAME AIRBORNE AND IMPACTED THE UPHILL SIDE OF THE RAVINE BEFORE NOSING OVER. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1989_DEN90LA014.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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