Cessna 172 accident near St. Ignatius, Montana, November 12, 1982
On November 12, 1982 at about 8:33 am local time, a Cessna 172, registered N733UE, was substantially damaged in an accident near St. Ignatius, Montana (St. Ignatius airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 12, 1982 · about 8:33 am local time
- Place
- St. Ignatius, Montana · St. Ignatius
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N733UE · registry record · serial 17268552
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE PASSENGER DOOR OPENED BEFORE LIFT OFF. HE ATTEMPTED TO BRAKE THE AIRCRAFT IN WET SNOW AND ICE AND SLID OFF THE END OF THE RUNWAY INTO A DITCH. THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE AIRCRAFT HAD A PAST HISTORY OF THE ENTRY DOOR LATCH "POPPING OPEN" DURING FLIGHT.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 186 hours in all; 82 in this make and model; 49 in the last 90 days; 116 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 91 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 52S St. Ignatius MT
- Destination: 52S St. Ignatius MT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 2,500 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.