Cessna 172 accident near Lindsay, Montana, October 1, 2001
On October 1, 2001 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N3910F, was destroyed in an accident near Lindsay, Montana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain an altitude clear of terrain. A factor was intentional low altitude flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 1, 2001 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Lindsay, Montana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N3910F · no longer on the register · serial 36810
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he was flying in cruise configuration at 300 feet AGL when the aircraft collided with the terrain. He reported that a communication radio was making wind noise, and he was attempting to adjust it at the time of the accident. The pilot reported that he could not remember the details surrounding the accident sequence. There was no report of mechanical malfunction or failure 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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 339 hours in all; 95 in this make and model; 47 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days; 272 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 1, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,100 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 24, 2001; 100 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,695 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GDV Glendive MT at 10:30 pm
- Destination: HLN Helena MT
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 10:55 pm from GDV, 25 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.
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.