Cessna 175 accident near Fort Peck, Montana, October 27, 1988
On October 27, 1988 at about 1:00 am local time, a Cessna 175, registered N7403M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fort Peck, Montana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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
- October 27, 1988 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Fort Peck, Montana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 175 · all 175s on the register
- Registration
- N7403M · no longer on the register · serial 55703
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT ENCTRD HVY SNOW AT NIGHT & TURNED BACK TO FIND A NEARBY LANDING STRIP THAT HE WAS FAMILIAR WITH. HE RECOGNIZED A RANCH HOUSE ASSOCIATED WITH THE STRIP, BUT WAS UNABLE TO FIND THE LANDING AREA. HE BEGAN TO CIRCLE IN HOPES THAT SOMEONE WOULD TURN ON THE RWY LIGHTS. DURING A TURN, THE ACFT CRASHED ON RISING TERRAIN WHEN THE RIGHT WING CONTACTED THE GROUND & THE ACFT CARTWHEELED.
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: 261 hours in all; 181 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 213 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,193 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 25, 1988; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,350 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental GO-300-A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 4U6 Circle MT
- Destination: GGW Glasgow MT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.