Cessna 170A accident near Bozeman, Montana, June 24, 2007
On June 24, 2007 at about 6:01 pm local time, a Cessna 170A, registered N1316D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bozeman, Montana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate visual lookout and failure to maintain airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and uncontrolled descent into terrain while manuevering to avoid the transmission lines. The sun glare was a factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 24, 2007 · about 6:01 pm local time
- Place
- Bozeman, Montana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 170A · all 170As on the register
- Registration
- N1316D · no longer on the register · serial 19892
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he was flying the airplane over a family member's ranch in a low-altitude, slow flight configuration. He proceeded northbound attempting to regain airspeed when he noticed transmission lines that had previously been visually obstructed to him by the sun. The pilot pulled back on the control yoke attempting to avoid the lines, but the airplane stalled and descended uncontrolled to the ground. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical abnormalities to preclude normal operation of the airplane prior 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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,500 hours in all; 1,200 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Teledyne Continental C145 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LVM Livingston MT
- Destination: 735 Tekoa WA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 4 knots
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.84 inHg
- Observation at 5:56 pm from BZN, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.