SEA96LA095

Factual narrative

On May 19, 1996, at 1010 mountain daylight time, a Stinson 108-2 airplane, operated by the owner/pilot, collided with terrain during landing roll in Cut Bank, Montana, and was substantially damaged. The private pilot and his two passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed. The personal flight departed from Lethbridge, Canada, and was conducted under 14 CFR 91. The pilot stated that after flying over the Cut Bank Municipal Airport to determine wind direction, he decided to land on runway 31. The winds were favoring runway 31 during his approach. As he landed and rolled out, the winds "apparently shifted to the left" and were gusting. The airplane "weathervaned" and veered off the edge of the runway onto soft terrain. The right main landing gear collapsed and the right wing was bent. No pre-impact mechanical malfunctions were reported. The reported wind conditions at the airport near the time of the accident were: wind direction from a magnetic bearing of 300 degrees at a speed of 16 knots, gusting to 23 knots. After flying over the airport to determine wind direction, the pilot decided to land on runway 31. He reported that the winds were favoring runway 31 during his approach. As he landed and rolled out, the winds shifted to a left crosswind and were gusting. The airplane veered off the edge of the runway onto soft terrain. The right main landing gear collapsed and the right wing was bent. No preimpact mechanical malfunctions were reported. The reported wind conditions at the airport near the time of the accident were: wind direction from a magnetic bearing of 300 degrees at a speed of 16 knots, gusting to 23 knots. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12