Cessna 340A accident near Kalispell, Montana, October 2, 2006
On October 2, 2006, a Cessna 340A, registered N1920E, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kalispell, Montana (Glacier Park Intl Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The fracture of the adjusting bellcrank in overstress due to binding in a linkage forward of the bell crank.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 2, 2006
- Place
- Kalispell, Montana · Glacier Park Intl Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 340A · all 340As on the register
- Registration
- N1920E · registry record · serial 340A0669
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While extending the landing gear the pilot heard a "loud bang" in the nose of the airplane. With both main landing gear having extended normally and the nose gear failing to extend, the pilot carried out the emergency landing gear checklist, but was unable to get the nose gear to extend. Air traffic control tower personnel subsequently confimred that the nose landing gear had not extended after the pilot did two flybys. The pilot then landed the airplane on both main landing gear, letting the aircraft settle onto its nose as airspeed bleed off, and it came to rest approximately 2,000 feet down the runway. A post-accident examination revealed that the adjusting bellcrank was fractured at the upper end where the fork bolt is normally inserted. The fracture features were consistent with overstress, and there was no evidence of any preexisting damage. The deformation and fractures appeared consistent with the bellcrank rotating relative to a stationary fork bolt during nose gear extension, such as could occur as a result of some obstruction or binding in the linkage forward of the bellcrank. The nature and cause of the binding in the linkages could not be determined.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,600 hours in all; 1,200 in this make and model; 12 in the last 90 days; 3,500 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,648.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 2006; 3.4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,990 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Continental TSIO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Continental TSIO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GPI Kalispell MT at 10:30 pm
- Destination: GPI Kalispell MT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 02, 9,007 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.82 inHg
- Observation at 11:55 pm from GPI
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.