Piper PA 28-180 accident near Deer Lodge, Montana, April 17, 2015
On April 17, 2015 at about 8:20 pm local time, a 1963 Piper PA 28-180, registered N7374W, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Deer Lodge, Montana (Deer Lodge-City-County 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate recovery from a bounced landing, resulting in a loss of control and collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 17, 2015 · about 8:20 pm local time
- Place
- Deer Lodge, Montana · Deer Lodge-City-County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 28-180 180, built 1963 · all PA 28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N7374W · no longer on the register · serial 28-1256
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that during the landing flare he began to porpoise, on the second porpoise he encountered what he believed was a crosswind. He added full power to abort the landing, and subsequently the airplane impacted a ditch, which resulted in the right landing gear and nose wheel being separated from the airplane and substantial damage to the firewall. The pilot reported there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (aborted after touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 400 hours in all; 270 in this make and model; 10 in the last 30 days; 400 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 20, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,459 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 2014
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 A3A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3U3 Anaconda MT at 8:00 pm
- Destination: 38S Deer Lodge MT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 5,800 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from KBTM, 27 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on June 30, 2015. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation - Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photo 1 - Airplane Front (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo 2 - Left Wing (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photo 3 - Left Wing Leading Edge (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Photo 4 - Underside of Left Wing (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.