Cessna T337G accident near Lewistown, Montana, June 15, 2003
On June 15, 2003 at about 5:15 pm local time, a Cessna T337G, registered N4TD, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lewistown, Montana (Beacon Star airport). 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
Inadequate preflight planning/preparation prior to takeoff, and the pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during the takeoff. An inadvertent stall and rough terrain were factors.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 15, 2003 · about 5:15 pm local time
- Place
- Lewistown, Montana · Beacon Star · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T337G · all T337Gs on the register
- Registration
- N4TD · registry record · serial P337-0093
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that when he landed on the airstrip, he had trimmed the aircraft for a short field landing. During the takeoff, he reported that he did not retrim the aircraft and during the takeoff ground run, the control yoke came back into his lap. The aircraft lifted off briefly, then stalled with the left wing down. The pilot aborted the takeoff and reduced power. The aircraft traveled off the north side of the runway and crossed a rough wheat field. The aircraft came to rest over an embankment along side a dirt road.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 750 hours in all; 450 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,019 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 9, 2002
- Maximum gross weight: 4,700 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-360-CB3 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Lewistown MT
- Destination: BIL Billings MT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 3,700 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 4:54 pm from LWT, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.