Piper PA-30 accident near Bridger, Montana, December 16, 2007
On December 16, 2007 at about 7:48 pm local time, a Piper PA-30, registered N7252Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bridger, Montana (Bridger 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 landing gear collapsed during landing for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 16, 2007 · about 7:48 pm local time
- Place
- Bridger, Montana · Bridger Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-30 · all PA-30s on the register
- Registration
- N7252Y · registry record · serial 30-277
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
As the pilot approached the destination airport and entered on the downwind leg, he reduced the engine power and lowered the landing gear handle. He noticed that the landing gear did not extend and reset the circuit breaker, which was popped open. The pilot recycled the landing gear, then verified that the nose gear was down, and he received a green light that indicated all three gear were down and locked. While on final, he noted gusty wind conditions and that the airplane was low. He added power to arrest the sink rate and the airplane landed in a slightly nose-low attitude. The landing gear collapsed and the right propeller struck the ground, followed by the left propeller. Examination of the landing gear system found no evidence of a mechanical anomaly. The airplane incurred structural damage to the underside of the fuselage.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 337 hours in all; 58 in this make and model; 272 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,427 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 2007; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Textron Lycoming IO-320-B1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 6S8 Laurel MT at 7:00 pm
- Destination: 6S1 Bridger MT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 3,400 ft by 42 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 10°F (-12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from BIL, 33 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number SEA08LA048.