Piper PA-36 accident near Rapelje, Montana, May 13, 1985
On May 13, 1985 at about 9:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-36, registered N44260, was destroyed in an accident near Rapelje, Montana. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 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
- May 13, 1985 · about 9:15 pm local time
- Place
- Rapelje, Montana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-36 · all PA-36s on the register
- Registration
- N44260 · no longer on the register · serial 376460028
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT SETTLED BACK TO GROUND CONTACT AFTER REACHING AN ALT (EST BY THE PLT) OF 60 FT AGL DURING TAKEOFF INITIAL CLIMB. THE PLT STATED THAT HE RECOGNIZED THE ACFT WAS SETTLING TOWARD THE GROUND & NOTICED A DISSIPATION OF AIRSPEED. THE PLT SAID THAT HE THEN 'ELECTED TO HOLD LOAD AS LONG AS POSSIBLE BEFORE DUMPING. I DUMPED THE LOAD 20 FT ABOVE THE POINT WHERE I KNEW I WAS GOING TO IMPACT THE GROUND.' THE DENSITY ALT WAS COMPUTED TO BE 4700 FT (ARPT FLE 3800 FT) BY THE IIC. IN THE AREA OF THE PLTS REPORT RESERVED FOR RECCOMMENDATIONS FOR PREVENTION (OF THIS ACCIDENT TYPE) THE PLT WROTE 'I BELIEVE THAT I GOT INTO A SITUATION KNOWN AS'REGION OF REVERSE COMMAND.'' THE DEFINITION OF THIS PHENOMENONDESCRIBES AN AERODYNAMIC SITUATION IN WHICH THE TOTAL DRAG OF THE ACFT INCREASES AS THE AIRSPEED DECREASES. THIS DRAG INCREASES TO A POINT WHERE INSUFFICIENT POWER IS AVAILABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE. THE PLT ALSO REPORTED THAT THE ACFT LOAD CONSISTED OF 200 GALLONS OF 2,4,D & ROUNDUP, IN ADDITION TO 55 GALLONS OF AVIATION FUEL ON BOARD.
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: 1,881 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 1,798 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,050 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 3, 1985; 16 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,800 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-720-A1B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NA MT at 9:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 2,600 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Wind: from 220° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.