Cessna 177B accident near Billings, Montana, December 6, 1985
On December 6, 1985 at about 2:46 am local time, a Cessna 177B, registered N13717, was substantially damaged in an accident near Billings, Montana. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 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
- December 6, 1985 · about 2:46 am local time
- Place
- Billings, Montana
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177B · all 177Bs on the register
- Registration
- N13717 · no longer on the register · serial 17702459
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT WAS DAMAGED DURING A FORCED LANDING IN A FLD FOLLOWING A LOSS OF PWR FROM FUEL EXHAUSTION. THE PLT STATED THAT DURING THE PREFLIGHT HE CHECKED THE FUEL LEVEL BY THE GAGES AND NOT VISUALLY. THE GAGES INDICATED SLIGHTLY OVER ONE-HALF FULL AT THAT TIME.
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: 713 hours in all; 221 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 649 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,261 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 6, 1985; 44 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1F6W (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PWD Plentywood MT
- Destination: BIL Billings MT
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 225° at 18 knots
- Visibility: 39 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 20,000 ft; scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:50 am from BIL, 45 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.