Amateur-built Baby Lakes accident near Stevensville, Montana, July 7, 2001
On July 7, 2001 at about 4:20 pm local time, a amateur-built Baby Lakes, registered N94AT, was substantially damaged in an accident near Stevensville, Montana (Stevensville 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 failure to maintain directional control of the tailwheel-equipped aircraft during the landing roll. Factors include the pilot's low total time in this make and model aircraft and his lack of recent experience in this make and model aircraft.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 7, 2001 · about 4:20 pm local time
- Place
- Stevensville, Montana · Stevensville Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built Baby Lakes
- Registration
- N94AT · no longer on the register · serial 82963BGL
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot, who had accumulated approximately three hours flight time in this make and model aircraft prior to the accident flight, had not flown the airplane in about 18 months. He flew it around the area for about one hour getting reacquainted with its characteristics, and then attempted a full-stop landing. Although the touchdown was uneventful, during the landing roll, the aircraft started drifting to the left. The pilot therefore applied right rudder, but over-corrected. Before he could get the aircraft realigned with the runway, the left main gear collapsed, and the left lower wing impacted the runway surface.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,618 hours in all; 4 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: May 25, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 31 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 14, 2001; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 950 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-C1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 32S Stevensville MT at 3:20 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 12, 3,800 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
Other NTSB records under N94AT the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.