Piper PA-12 accident near Bozeman, Montana, February 8, 2001
On February 8, 2001 at about 9:20 pm local time, a Piper PA-12, registered N7940H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bozeman, Montana (Gallatin Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot rated passenger's failure to maintain directional control during the landing. A factor was the snow berm which the aircraft rolled into during the landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 8, 2001 · about 9:20 pm local time
- Place
- Bozeman, Montana · Gallatin Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-12 · all PA-12s on the register
- Registration
- N7940H · no longer on the register · serial 12-844
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot rated passenger and prospective buyer of the tailwheel equipped Piper PA-12, was flying the aircraft from the front seat with the owner occupying the rear seat. During a touch-and-go landing the aircraft veered right and then hard left, during which the pilot (passenger) attempted to correct with rudder and the addition of power. The aircraft then ran off the left side of the runway into a snowberm and nosed over. The flying pilot reported 81 hours of flight experience in the PA-12. Calm winds existed at the time of the accident.
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: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,258 hours in all; 81 in this make and model; 1,221 as pilot in command; 73 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 15, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
Other crew
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,300 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 2000; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BZN Bozeman MT at 8:20 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 12, 9,003 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 1°F (-17°C), dew point -8°F (-22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 8:56 pm from BZN
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.