Piper PA-24-250 accident near Bozeman, Montana, October 20, 1999
On October 20, 1999 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-24-250, registered N8078P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bozeman, Montana (Gallatin Field). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot-in-command's (CFI) failure to take remedial action. Factors include the private pilot letting the airspeed get too low.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 20, 1999 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Bozeman, Montana · Gallatin Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-250 · all PA-24-250s on the register
- Registration
- N8078P · registry record · serial 24-3326
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot, whose flight review had expired, was in the process of completing a flight review recurrency flight, when the instructor reduced the power and asked him to execute a simulated forced landing. As he stretched the glide in an attempt to make it to the approach end of the runway, the airspeed became lower than normal approach speed. Although the aircraft was able to reach the end of the runway, just after it crossed the threshold, it dropped onto the runway with sufficient force to cause substantial damage. Although the airspeed had slowed below normal approach speed as the aircraft neared the approach end of the runway, the instructor pilot did not add power, nor did she call for termination of the simulated forced landing exercise.
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; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,392 hours in all; 66 in this make and model; 69 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 3,274 as pilot in command; 1,581 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,598 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 28, 1999; 111 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540--A1D5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BZN at 3:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 2,650 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.