SEA02LA118

Factual narrative

On July 2, 2002, approximately 1000 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 182E, N3387Y, impacted a fence during the landing roll at Sweetgrass Airport (Ross International), Sweetgrass, Montana. The private pilot and his passenger were not injured, but the aircraft, which is owned and operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal pleasure flight, which departed Great Falls, Montana, about one hour prior to the accident, was being operated in visual meteorological conditions. The aircraft had been on a VFR flight plan. There was no report of an ELT activation. In a telephone conversation with an NTSB investigator, the pilot said that although he was landing in a crosswind, he was able to successfully touch down near the center of the runway. But, during the initial part of the landing roll, the aircraft encountered a crosswind gust that was stronger than he had expected. After encountering the gust, the aircraft started veering toward the right side of the runway, and the pilot was unable to maintain directional control. After departing the side of the runway, the aircraft impacted a fence and sustained substantial damage. According to the pilot, there did not appear to be any mechanical malfunctions or failures in either the aircrafts structure or flight controls. The pilot, who was landing his aircraft in gusty crosswinds, was able to successfully touch down near the center of the runway, but soon thereafter encountered a gust that was stronger than he had expected. After encountering the gust, the aircraft started drifting toward the right side of the runway, and because the pilot was unable to maintain directional control, it eventually departed the runway surface. After leaving the runway, the aircraft impacted a nearby fence and sustained substantial damage. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12