Aviat Husky A-1 accident near Kalispell, Montana, February 17, 2005
On February 17, 2005 at about 9:15 pm local time, a Aviat Husky A-1, registered N22HU, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kalispell, Montana (Private Strip 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 clearance from a tree located off the departure end of his private airstrip during an aborted landing attempt. Factors include trees located near the departure end of the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 17, 2005 · about 9:15 pm local time
- Place
- Kalispell, Montana · Private Strip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aviat Husky A-1
- Registration
- N22HU · registry record · serial 1355
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a landing attempt at his private airstrip, the pilot allowed the aircraft to bounce high enough that he elected to abort the landing and come around for a second approach. He therefore added power and started to establish his initial climb, but then inadvertently allowed the aircraft to come in contact with a pine tree located just off the departure end of the runway. After contacting the tree, the aircraft spun around, dropped into another tree, and then slid to the ground. According to the pilot, there was no indication of any malfunction of the engine or flight controls.
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; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 848 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1P (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KFCA Glacier Int. Ap MT
- Destination: Kalispell MT
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°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 N22HU 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.