Cessna 177B accident near St. Ignatius, Montana, May 21, 1992
On May 21, 1992 at about 11:45 pm local time, a Cessna 177B, registered N30922, was destroyed in an accident near St. Ignatius, Montana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT IN COMMAND'S INADVERTENTLY ALLOWING THE AIRCRAFT TO ENTER INTO A STALL/SPIN. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: TERRAIN CONDITION, RISING TERRAIN, AND THE PILOT IN COMMAND'S LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH THE GEOGRAPHIC AREA.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 21, 1992 · about 11:45 pm local time
- Place
- St. Ignatius, Montana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177B · all 177Bs on the register
- Registration
- N30922 · registry record · serial 17701547
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS LOCATED AT THE 7500 FOOT LEVEL OF MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN IN A DRAW WHICH SLOPED UPHILL AT A GRADIENT OF +15 DEGREES TO THE WEST. ON SITE EXAMINATION INDICATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND IN A NEAR VERTICAL ATTITUDE WITH THE WRECKAGE COMING TO REST APPROXIMATELY 45 FEET EAST-SOUTHEAST AND DOWNSLOPE OF THE IMPACT SITE. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF POWERPLANT NOR CONTROL MALFUNCTION. A REVIEW OF THE PILOT'S LOGBOOK REVEALED NO PREVIOUS FLIGHT EXPERIENCE WITHIN THE STATE OF MONTANA NOR ANY DOCUMENTED MOUNTAIN FLIGHT EXPERIENCE.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 794 hours in all; 534 in this make and model; 38 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days; 733 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,641 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 18, 1991; 166 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1F6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: 52S
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:50 pm from MSO, 24 miles away
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.
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.