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Accidents · NTSB SEA08FA135 · Final report

Beech 1900C accident near Billings, Montana, May 23, 2008

On May 23, 2008 at about 7:24 am local time, a Beech 1900C, registered N195GA, was destroyed in an accident during initial climb near Billings, Montana (Billings-Logan International airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).

The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged

The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during the initial climb for undetermined reasons.

Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.

What the record shows

Date
May 23, 2008 · about 7:24 am local time · cases in 2008
Place
Billings, Montana · Billings-Logan International · cases near this airport · map
Type
Accident
Injuries
1 person was killed.
Weather
instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
Aircraft
Beech 1900C · all 1900Cs on the register
Registration
N195GA · registry record · serial UB-65
Damage
Destroyed
Flight
Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)

The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record

About one minute after takeoff on a night Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) contract cargo flight, the tower controller advised the pilot that he was squawking the wrong transponder code. Although the pilot reset the transponder to the correct code, he was advised that he was still squawking the wrong code. He then realized that he had selected the wrong transponder, and then switched to the correct one. During the time the pilot was dealing with this issue, the airplane drifted about 30 degrees right of the assigned heading, but the pilot returned to the correct heading as he was contacting the departure controller. The departure controller cleared him to continue his climb and instructed him to turn left about 120 degrees, which he did. About 40 seconds after initiating his left turn of about 120 degrees, while climbing straight ahead through an altitude about 4,700 feet above ground level (AGL), the pilot was instructed to turn 20 degrees further left. Almost immediately thereafter, the airplane began turning to the right, and then suddenly entered a rapidly descending right turn. The airplane ultimately impacted the terrain in a nearly wings-level nose-down attitude of greater than 45 degrees. At the moment of impact the airplane was on a heading about 220 degrees to the right of the its last stabilized course. The investigation did not find any indication of an airframe, control system, or engine mechanical failure or malfunction that would have precluded normal flight, and no autopsy or toxicological information could be acquired due to the high amount of energy that was released when the airplane impacted the terrain. The determination of the initiating event that led to the uncontrolled descent into the terrain was not able to 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

What happened, in order

  1. Loss of control in flight during initial climb defining event
  2. Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent

The NTSB's findings

  • cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined

Pilot

  • Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
  • Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
  • Flight time: 4,770 hours in all; 362 in this make and model; 162 in the last 90 days; 67 in the last 30 days
  • Last flight review: January 31, 2008
  • Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
  • Seat: left
  • Injury: fatal

The aircraft

  • Airframe total time: 34,651 hours
  • Last inspection: approved inspection programme, May 2, 2008
  • Maximum gross weight: 16,600 lb
  • Seats: 2
  • Landing gear: retractable
  • Engine 1: P&W Canada PT6A-65B (turboprop); 0 hours total
  • Engine 2: P&W Canada PT6A-65B (turboprop); 0 hours total
  • Fire on the ground
  • Operator: Alpine Aviation INC

The flight

  • Departed from: KBIL Billings-Logan MT at 1:21 pm
  • Destination: KGTF Great Falls MT
  • Flight plan: IFR

Weather at the time

  • Light: night, dark
  • Wind: from 080° at 18 knots, gusting 24
  • Visibility: 10 statute miles
  • Sky: overcast at 1,000 ft; scat at 600 ft
  • Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
  • Observation at 6:53 am from KBIL, 3 miles away

Injuries

FatalSeriousMinorNone
Flight crew1

Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report

The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.

Connections how this case links to the rest of the register

Aircraft
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Analytics

The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/SEA08FA135.json.

The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.

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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.