Beech 58P accident near Missoula, Montana, December 23, 2003
On December 23, 2003 at about 3:00 am local time, a Beech 58P, registered N181AM, was destroyed in an accident near Missoula, Montana (Missoula International airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The second pilot's failure to maintain terrain clearance while maneuvering after takeoff. Proper climb rate not verified by the flight crew, fog, freezing fog, dark night conditions and inadequate supervision by the pilot-in-command were factors.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 23, 2003 · about 3:00 am local time
- Place
- Missoula, Montana · Missoula International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech 58P · all 58Ps on the register
- Registration
- N181AM · registry record · serial TJ-181
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Shortly after take off during night instrument meteorological conditions, the second pilot, who had no previous flight time in this make and model aircraft and was the flying pilot, reported that he made a right turn from runway heading at about 400 to 500 feet above ground level to intercept the outbound radial from the VOR to accomplish the departure procedure. During the turn, a "thump" was felt and the right bank angle increased from about 25 degrees to 45 degrees. While the second pilot was attempting to correct from the increased bank angle, the aircraft at some point, entered a descent. Just before ground impact to open terrain about one mile south of the runway, the pilot-in-command took control of the aircraft to level the wings. The aircraft skipped across the open terrain for several hundred yards before coming to rest on its belly. The aircraft was consumed by fire shortly thereafter. Neither pilot could explain the loss of altitude as both believed they were in a continuous climb during the event as airspeed and pitch attitude remained constant. Neither pilot could recall if they scanned the vertical speed indicator or altimeter to verify if they were indicating a climb or descent. During the post accident inspection of the aircraft, no evidence of a mechanical failure or malfunction was found and no evidence of an in flight collision with an object was noted. At the time of the accident, low freezing fog and visibility was reported.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,850 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 4,600 as pilot in command; 725 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 30, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
Co-pilot
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,085 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 30, 2003; 70 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-WB (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: MSO Missoula MT at 3:00 am
- Destination: RDM Redmond OR
- Runway 11, 9,501 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 0.8 statute miles
- Temperature: 27°F (-3°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.31 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 am from MSO, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 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 SEA04LA029.