Bellanca 8GCBC accident near Townsend, Montana, August 19, 2006
On August 19, 2006 at about 9:10 pm local time, a Bellanca 8GCBC, registered N4109Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Townsend, Montana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain terrain clearance while intentionally maneuvering low to the ground.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 19, 2006 · about 9:10 pm local time
- Place
- Townsend, Montana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Bellanca 8GCBC · all 8GCBCs on the register
- Registration
- N4109Y · no longer on the register · serial 231-76
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was performing a low level fly-by to find some of his friends who were camping in the area. A witness reported that the airplane made multiple low passes over open terrain; on the last pass, the left wing struck the ground and the airplane cartwheeled before coming to rest. The pilot reported that the left wing was bent up from the mid-section outboard, and the fuselage was crushed and wrinkled.
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: 642 hours in all; 426 in this make and model; 529 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 2005
- Maximum gross weight: 2,154 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MSO Missoula MT at 7:00 pm
- Destination: BZN Bozeman MT
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observation at 6:00 pm from HLN, 30 miles away
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.