Cessna T210N accident near Kalispell, Montana, May 3, 2005
On May 3, 2005 at about 9:40 pm local time, a Cessna T210N, registered N106PM, was destroyed in an accident near Kalispell, Montana (Glacier Park Intl airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Loss of aircraft control during climb while in instrument meteorological conditions. Icing conditions was a factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 3, 2005 · about 9:40 pm local time
- Place
- Kalispell, Montana · Glacier Park Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T210N · all T210Ns on the register
- Registration
- N106PM · no longer on the register · serial 21062965
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Approximately 15 minutes after takeoff, while climbing to an ATC assigned altitude of 13,000 feet, radar and radio communications with the pilot/aircraft were lost. Radar information indicated the airplane started a descending right turn shortly before it disappeared from radar coverage. The descending turn started shortly after the airplane reached 12,000 feet. Weather data indicated widespread areas of IFR conditions. Icing conditions were forecasted, as well as reported, along the pilot's route of flight. The airplane was not certified for icing conditions. Post accident examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence to indicate a pre-impact mechanical malfunction or irregularity with the airplane that may have contributed to 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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 720 hours in all
- Last flight review: June 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,809 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 1, 2005
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: FCA Kalispell MT at 9:24 pm
- Destination: CPR Casper WY
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,500 ft; scat at 7,500 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 9:55 pm from KFCA, 19 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.