Taylorcraft BC-65 accident near Chinook, Montana, February 22, 1985
On February 22, 1985 at about 8:35 pm local time, a Taylorcraft BC-65, registered N26580, was destroyed in an accident near Chinook, Montana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. 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
- February 22, 1985 · about 8:35 pm local time
- Place
- Chinook, Montana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Taylorcraft BC-65 · all BC-65s on the register
- Registration
- N26580 · no longer on the register · serial 1922
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED TO ENTER A SHALLOW RIGHT CLIMBING TURN AT ABOUT 200 FEET AGL AFTER MAKING A LOW PASS OVER FRIENDS. WITNESSES SAID THE AIRPLANE THEN STALLED AND DOVE TO THE GROUND. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF AIRFRAME, ENG, PROP, FLT CONTROL, OR SYST FAILURE/MALFUNCTION OR PLT INCAPACITATION. VMC CONDITIONS PREVAILED. THE PLT HAD LOGGED A TOTAL OF 173 HOURS, OF WHICH 34.0 HOURS WERE IN MAKE/MODEL.
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: 173 hours in all; 34 in this make and model; 3 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 131 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 20, 1985; 340 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,150 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A-65-8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: S71 Chinook MT at 6:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 9 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 65 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,000 ft; scat at 500 ft
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:55 pm from HVR, 26 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.