Eiriavion Oy PIK 20E accident near Hamilton, Montana, July 26, 2000
On July 26, 2000, a Eiriavion Oy PIK 20E (glider), registered N27RT, was destroyed in an accident near Hamilton, Montana (Ravalli County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's entering an inadvertent stall condition during a high angle of bank turn (maneuvering), and the lack of adequate altitude in which to successfully recover before ground impact.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 26, 2000
- Place
- Hamilton, Montana · Ravalli County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Eiriavion Oy PIK 20E · all PIK 20Es on the register
- Registration
- N27RT · registry record · serial 20208
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot returned to his departure airport in the powered glider and entered a left downwind for runway 34. During his approach he decided he was too high and fast and executed a go-around with the intention of executing a 180 degree course reversal and landing on the reciprocal runway. A witness reported that during a high angle of bank turn and climb of about 50 feet, the aircraft entered a stall. The pilot reported that he initiated a recovery but that he 'had insufficient ground clearance to re-establish level flight and impacted the ground.'
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 782 hours in all; 6 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 534 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 753 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 14, 2000; 33 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,036 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 501 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 6S5 at 11:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 4,200 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:56 pm from MSO, 39 miles away
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.
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 SEA00LA144.