Piper 601P accident near Billings, Montana, August 5, 1983
On August 5, 1983 at about 8:05 pm local time, a Piper 601P, registered N363VA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Billings, Montana (Bil airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 6 people were 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
- August 5, 1983 · about 8:05 pm local time
- Place
- Billings, Montana · Bil · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper 601P
- Registration
- N363VA · no longer on the register · serial 61PO80480634
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
BEFORE STARTING THE FLT, THE ACFT WAS LOADED WITH FULL FUEL, 5 ADULT PASSENGERS & APRX 45 LBS OF BAGGAGE. THE ELEVATION & TEMP AT THE ARPT WERE 3606 FT & 93 DEG. THE PLT SAID HE DID NOT CALCULATE THE WEIGHT & BALANCE OR DENSITY ALTITUDE LIMITS FOR THIS FLT BECAUSE HE HAD PREVIOUSLY FLOWN THIS ACFT UNDER SIMILAR CONDITIONS & HAD NOT ENCOUNTERED ANY PROBLEMS. THE PLT INITIATED A NO FLAP TAKEOFF, AS WAS REQUIRED. HE REPORTED THAT THE ACFT WAS SLOW TO ACCELERATE DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL. AFTER LIFT-OFF, HE RETRACTED THE LANDING GEAR, BUT THE ACFT WOULD NOT CLIMB & BEGAN TO DECELERATE. TO THE PLT, THERE APPEARED TO BE INSUFFICIENT RWY REMAINING FOR A WHEEL LANDING, SO HE ELECTED TO LAND WITH THE GEAR UP. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE ACFT WAS ABOUT 400 LBS OVER ITS CERTIFICATED MAX GROSS WEIGHT LIMIT & THE DENSITY ALT WAS 6528 FT. ALSO, THE PLT STATED THAT THE ENGS & ALL SYSTEMS APPEARED TO BE WORKING WELL. THE WIND WAS VARIABLE & GUSTING FROM CALM TO 5 KTS. JUST BEFORE STARTING TAKEOFF, THE WIND WAS REPORTED FROM 070 DEG AT 5 KTS.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 667 hours in all; 129 in this make and model; 58 in the last 90 days; 603 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 618 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 16, 1983; 98 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,000 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-S1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: FCA Kalispell MT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27R, 10,500 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:07 pm from GIL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 5 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N363VA the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.