Cessna 205 accident near Highwood, Montana, September 21, 1984
On September 21, 1984 at about 7:15 am local time, a Cessna 205, registered N8435Z, was destroyed in an accident near Highwood, Montana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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
- September 21, 1984 · about 7:15 am local time
- Place
- Highwood, Montana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 205
- Registration
- N8435Z · no longer on the register · serial 206-0435
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AT 0053 MDT, THE PLT RADIOED GREAT FALLS FSS & REQUESTED WX INFO. HE WAS ADVISED OF IFR CONDITIONS & WAS PROVIDED THE LATEST OBSERVATION. THE PLT REQUESTED & WAS PROVIDED A SPECIAL VFR CLEARANCE TO DEPART TO THE EAST. HE TOOK OFF AT 0100 MDT & REPORTED OVER MALMSTROM AFB (OUTSIDE THE CONTROLLED AIRSPACE) AT 0106. NO FURTHER RADIO TRANSMISSIONS WERE RECEIVED FROM THE ACFT. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT IMPACTED RISING TERRAIN AT AN ELEVATION OF ABOUT 3500 FT & APRX 8 FT BELOW THE EDGE OF A PLATEAU. THE CRASH SITE WAS LOCATED ABOUT 400 FT ABOVE THE VALLEY FLOOR. AN EXAM REVEALED EVIDENCE THAT THE ACFT WAS IN A SLIGHT LEFT WING LOW, NOSE LEVEL ATTITUDE & WAS TRAVELING AT HIGH SPEED. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND. A TOXICOLOGICAL TEST OF THE PLT'S BLOOD SHOWED AN ALCOHOL LEVEL OF 0.083%. ABOUT 15 MI WEST AT MALMSTROM AFB, THE 0125 MDT WX WAS IN PART: 900 FT BROKEN, 2000 FT OVERCAST, 7 MI VISIBILITY WITH FOG & LIGHT RAIN. THE ELEVATION AT MALMSTROM WAS 3000 FT MSL.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,500 hours in all; 300 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,884 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 17, 1983; 110 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,300 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-470-S (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GTF Great Falls MT
- Destination: 5U8 Geraldine MT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 320° at 2 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:25 am from AFB, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.