Beech V35B accident near Belgrade, Montana, August 12, 1991
On August 12, 1991, a Beech V35B, registered N18307, was substantially damaged in an accident near Belgrade, Montana (Gallatin Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN A POSITIVE RATE OF CLIMB DURING THE TAKEOFF. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE THE OPEN CABIN WINDOW AND THE PILOT'S DIVERTING HIS ATTENTION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 12, 1991
- Place
- Belgrade, Montana · Gallatin Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech V35B · all V35Bs on the register
- Registration
- N18307 · registry record · serial D10038
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING GEAR RETRACTION ON TAKEOFF THE RIGHT CENTER CABIN WINDOW OPENED. THE PILOT'S ATTENTION WAS DIVERTED BY THE AMBIENT NOISE AND ITS EFFECT ON HIS DAUGHTER WHO WAS SEATED ADJACENT TO THE WINDOW. THE PILOT THEN TURNED HIS ATTENTION TO SECURING THE WINDOW AND DURING THIS EVENT FAILED TO MAINTAIN A POSITIVE CLIMB RATE. THE AIRCRAFT THEN SETTLED BACK TO THE RUNWAY.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,911 hours in all; 4,000 in this make and model; 85 in the last 90 days; 45 in the last 30 days; 5,380 as pilot in command; 1,676 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-520 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Mm&O Aviation, INC.
The flight
- Destination: BJC Denver CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 3, 9,003 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N18307 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 SEA91LA206.