Piper PA-18-125 accident near Miles City, Montana, October 1, 1987
On October 1, 1987 at about 1:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-18-125, registered N1377A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Miles City, Montana. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. 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
- October 1, 1987 · about 1:30 pm local time
- Place
- Miles City, Montana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-125 · all PA-18-125s on the register
- Registration
- N1377A · registry record · serial 18-1208
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A CATTLE RANCHER WAS FLYING HIS AIRCRAFT LOOKING FOR STRAY CATTLE AND CHECKING THE CONDITION OF THE RANCH. HE WAS AT APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET AGL WHEN HE SPOTTED CATTLE THAT HAD STRAYED OFF THE RANCH. THE PILOT TURNED TO GET A BETTER VIEW OF THE CATTLE AND FLEW INTO A BOX CANYON. THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A NEAR VERTICALATTITUDE AT THE FAR END OF THE BOX CANYON. NO PREIMPACT MALFUNCTIONS/FAILURES WERE FOUND.
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: 225 hours in all; 15 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 185 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,360 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 2, 1987; 32 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290-D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Smith Cattle, INC.
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Wind: from 280° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 14,000 ft
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:31 am from MLS, 39 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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 DEN88FA001.