Piper PA-18-125 accident near Ekalaka, Montana, August 7, 1989
On August 7, 1989 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-18-125, registered N1322A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ekalaka, Montana (Ranch 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
MISJUDGEMENT OF THE PROPER TOUCHDOWN POINT BY THE PILOT, WHICH RESULTED IN AN OVERRUN OF THE LANDING AREA AND COLLISION WITH A POST. THE DOWNHILL TERRAIN CONDITION AND LOCATION OF THE FENCE POST WERE RELATED FACTORS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 7, 1989 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Ekalaka, Montana · Ranch Strip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-125 · all PA-18-125s on the register
- Registration
- N1322A · registry record · serial 18-1128
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE COMMERICAL PLT/RANCHER WAS FLYING TO A NEARBY RANCH FOR PARTS. HE SAID HE LANDED DOWNHILL INTO WINDS THAT HE ESTIMATED WERE FROM 135 DEG AT 10 KTS. HE REPORTED THAT HE OVERSHOT HIS POINT OF INTENDED LANDING AND OVERRAN THE LANDING STRIP (A ROAD). HE SAID THE LEFT WING STRUCK A GATE POST AND DAMAGED THE SPAR.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,885 hours in all; 2,400 in this make and model; 47 in the last 90 days; 27 in the last 30 days; 3,880 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Ekalaka MT at 6:15 pm
- Destination: NONE
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 135° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
Other NTSB records under N1322A the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 DEN89LA190.