Cessna 305A accident near Bozeman, Montana, March 31, 2004
On March 31, 2004 at about 4:45 pm local time, a Cessna 305A, registered N5210G, 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; 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 during the landing roll in the tail wheel-equipped aircraft, leading to an inadvertent ground-loop, during which the aircraft's wing impacted the ground.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 31, 2004 · about 4:45 pm local time
- Place
- Bozeman, Montana · Gallatin Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 305A · all 305As on the register
- Registration
- N5210G · registry record · serial 22186
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flare, touchdown, and initial part of the landing roll in the tail wheel equipped aircraft were normal and uneventful. But as the aircraft slowed, it suddenly swerved to the left, and the pilot's attempts to realign it with the runway were not successful. The aircraft therefore exited the left side of the runway and entered a ground loop. During the ground loop sequence, the right main gear leg partially folded under, and the right wing collided with the terrain. A post accident inspection of the aircraft's braking system, rudder system, and tail wheel did not reveal any evidence of a malfunction or anomaly that would have contributed to a loss of directional control.
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: 264 hours in all; 125 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 169 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 4, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,347 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 6, 2003; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-15 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HLN Helena MT at 4:00 pm
- Destination: BZN Bozeman MT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 9,003 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°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.
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.