Beech 99A accident near Billings, Montana, October 18, 2004
On October 18, 2004 at about 4:14 am local time, a Beech 99A, registered N955AA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Billings, Montana (Billings Logan International airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to follow the instrument approach procedure, which resulted in a premature descent below the decision height and subsequent collision with a building.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 18, 2004 · about 4:14 am local time
- Place
- Billings, Montana · Billings Logan International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Beech 99A · all 99As on the register
- Registration
- N955AA · registry record · serial U128
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a night instrument landing system (ILS) approach to minimums, two low altitude alerts were issued by the air traffic controller to the pilot of the airplane. Following the second alert, the pilot executed a missed approach and reported instrument flags. During the climb, the pilot found that the landing gear would not retract. He recycled the gear and attempted to lower it manually; however, he was unable to get a green light for the right main landing gear. He requested to proceed to another airport and upon arriving there executed an ILS approach without any problems. During the landing roll, the right main landing gear collapsed. Examination of the airplane revealed that the upper drag brace for the right main landing gear was torn away from the spar. Examination of the roof of a gun club building, located about 1.65 miles from the runway threshold (at the airport where the pilot executed a missed approach) and 607 feet left of centerline, revealed two impact marks spaced about 14 feet apart, a distance corresponding to the main gear width of the airplane. Additionally, landing gear drag brace pieces identified as coming from the airplane were found about 80 yards from the building. The elevation of the building roof was about 35 feet below the decision height for the approach, indicating the airplane had descended below decision height prior to reaching the middle marker. The FAA conducted a flight inspection of the ILS and found the facility operation to be satisfactory. The navigational equipment in the accident airplane was tested, and no anomalies were found that would have affected an ILS approach.
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
What happened, in order
- IN FLIGHT COLLISION WITH OBJECT during approach - iaf to faf/outer marker (ifr)
- MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED during landing - roll
Pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land, none, APLN, none
- Flight time: 3,850 hours in all; 1,100 in this make and model; 135 in the last 90 days; 45 in the last 30 days; 1,750 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 22, 2004
- Medical certificate: class 2
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 32,810 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, August 18, 2004; 121 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 10,900 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT-6A (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operating certificate: in the vicinity
The flight
- Departed from: GTF Great Falls MT at 3:30 am
- Destination: BIL Billings MT
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 10L, 10,518 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 010° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 0.2 statute miles
- Sky: indefinite (v v) at 100 ft
- Temperature: 34°C, dew point 34°C
- Altimeter: 29.6 inHg
- Observation at 3:56 am from BIL, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 SEA05LA010.