Piper PA-24-250 accident near Missoula, Montana, December 27, 1991
On December 27, 1991 at about 2:45 am local time, a Piper PA-24-250, registered N6408P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Missoula, Montana (Missoula airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 3 people had minor injuries. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S POOR IN-FLIGHT DECISION, FAILURE TO PERFORM A MISSED APPROACH, AND IMPROPER ALTITUDE. FACTORS INCLUDE POOR PREFLIGHT PLANNING/PREPARATION, AND WEATHER CONDITIONS BELOW APPROACH MINIMUMS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 27, 1991 · about 2:45 am local time
- Place
- Missoula, Montana · Missoula · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 3 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-250 · all PA-24-250s on the register
- Registration
- N6408P · registry record · serial 24-1518
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT OF A PIPER PA-24 IMPACTED THE TERRAIN WHILE ATTEMPTING TO EXECUTE AN ILS APPROAH DURING WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT WERE BELOW MINIMUMS. THE PILOT, WHO HAD DEPARTED WITHOUT FIRST GETTING A WEATHER BRIEFING, STATED THAT HE WAS LOW ON FUEL. HE HAD ALREADY ATTEPMTED THE APPROACH TWICE, BEFORE LOOKING FOR AN ALTERNATE IN THE SURROUNDING AREA. SINCE HE WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE AN ALTERNATE WITHIN FUEL RANGE, HE ELECTED TO ATTEMPT THE APPROACH, EVEN THOUGH HE KNEW IT WAS BELOW MINIMUMS. THE PILOT DESCENDED BELOW DECISION HEIGHT, AN EVENTUALLY IMPACTED THE TERRAIN.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 5,000 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 5,000 as pilot in command; 475 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,000 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 10, 1991; 35 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-A1C5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: O6U Jackpot NV at 11:20 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 11, 10,000 ft by 200 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 140° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 23°F (-5°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:50 am from MSO, 2 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.
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 SEA92LA031.