Piper PA-11 accident near Winnett, Montana, December 23, 1988
On December 23, 1988 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-11, registered N5570H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Winnett, Montana (Farm Strip airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. 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
- December 23, 1988 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Winnett, Montana · Farm Strip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-11 · all PA-11s on the register
- Registration
- N5570H · registry record · serial 11-1092
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS TAKING OFF FROM A FARM STRIP WITH A 10 KT HEAD WIND. THE PLT SAID THE SUN WAS SHINING AT THE TIME OF THE ACDT BUT THERE HAD BEEN SNOW SHOWERS IN THE AREA. HE SAID THE LIFTOFF WAS NORMAL BUT AT ABOUT 15 TO 18 FT AGL THE ACFT STALLED AND CRASHED. AFTER THE ACDT THE PLT FOUND A THIN LAYER OF ICE ON THE WINGS. HE SAID THE SUN PROBABLY MELTED SNOW ON THE WINGS, WHILE THE ACFT WAS PARKED, WHICH THEN FROZE DURING THE TAKEOFF. THE TEMP AT THE TIME OF THE ACDT WAS ESTIMATED TO BE 20-25 DEG F. THE PLT REPORTED HE HAD FLOWN 10 HRS IN THE PRECEDING 24.
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: 246 hours in all; 175 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 75 in the last 30 days; 204 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,825 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 23, 1988; 174 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,220 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-90-8F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE at 8:00 pm
- Destination: NONE Ryegate MT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 3,000 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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 DEN89LA049.