Cessna 180C accident near Haugan, Montana, February 8, 1990
On February 8, 1990 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Cessna 180C, registered N9342T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Haugan, Montana. 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING THE TAKEOFF ATTEMPT. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS THE ICY, SNOW COVERED CONDITION OF THE TAKEOFF AREA.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 8, 1990 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Haugan, Montana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180C · all 180Cs on the register
- Registration
- N9342T · registry record
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT LANDED ON THE HIGHWAY THE NIGHT BEFORE DUE TO BAD WEATHER CONDITIONS ENCOUNTERED EN ROUTE. HE ATTEMPTED TO TAKEOFF ON THE SNOW COVERED HIGHWAY THE NEXT MORNING. THE PILOT COULD NOT MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING THE GROUND RUN AND THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH A SNOW BANK ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ROAD, THEN NOSED OVER.
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: 479 hours in all; 182 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-L (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE
- Destination: S83 Kellog ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 14,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 8:30 am
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.
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.