Cessna 305A accident near Lewistown, Montana, September 13, 2006
On September 13, 2006 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Cessna 305A, registered N5074H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lewistown, Montana (Lewiston Municipal 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 aircraft control during landing, which resulted in an inadvertent swerve and nose down. A contributing factor was the gusty wind condition.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 13, 2006 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Lewistown, Montana · Lewiston Municipal · 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
- N5074H · registry record · serial 21091
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, the wind was from 280 to 320 degrees at 13 knots with gusts to 22 knots. Upon touchdown, the left wing was raised by a gust. The airplane swerved right and then left before coming to rest nose down on the runway.
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; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 2,806 hours in all; 396 in this make and model; 72 in the last 90 days; 26 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,087 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 2006; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,100 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-11B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BZN Bozeman MT at 8:00 pm
- Destination: LWT Lewiston MT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 30, 4,102 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 12 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.70 inHg
- Observation at 8:54 pm from LWT
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.