Cessna 175 accident near Kalispell, Montana, July 11, 1987
On July 11, 1987 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Cessna 175, registered N9201B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kalispell, Montana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 11, 1987 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Kalispell, Montana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 175 · all 175s on the register
- Registration
- N9201B · registry record · serial 55001
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PVT PLT WAS ON A X-COUNTRY FLIGHT. THE ENGINE BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH, MADE A 'BANG' SOUND AND LOST PARTIAL POWER. SMOKE ENTERED THE COCKPIT, OIL PRESSURE WAS LOST AND THE PLT INITIATED AN EMERGENCY LANDING. THE ACFT LDG GR STRUCK POWERLINES ON APPROACH TO A DIRT ROAD, APPARENTLY DAMAGING THE ACFT BRAKES. AFTER LANDING, THE ACFT BRAKES WERE INOPERATIVE. THE ACFT DEPARTED THE ROAD TO THE LEFT, WENT THROUGH A FENCE, AND STRUCK A ROCK. THE NOSE GEAR WAS SHEARED OFF AND THE ACFT NOSED OVER. A POST-ACCIDENT INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE NUMBER TWO PISTON HAD DISINTEGRATED.
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: 660 hours in all; 450 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 660 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,520 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 1986
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental GO-300-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CTB Cut Bank MT at 3:15 pm
- Destination: BKE Baker OR
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 100 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number DEN87LA179.