Piper PA-28-140 accident near Monarch, Montana, May 29, 1992
On May 29, 1992 at about 6:35 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N6434R, was destroyed in an accident near Monarch, Montana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT IN COMMAND'S DISREGARD OF THE WEATHER FORECAST AND FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CLEARANCE WITH TREES/TERRAIN. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: HILLY/MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, WEATHER CONDITIONS: RAIN, LOW CEILINGS AND DOWNDRAFTS, TREES AND THE PILOT IN COMMAND'S CONTINUED FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 29, 1992 · about 6:35 pm local time
- Place
- Monarch, Montana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N6434R · registry record · serial 28-21615
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER RECEIVING A WEATHER BRIEFING DURING WHICH VFR FLIGHT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED, THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT DEPARTED PRIEST RIVER, EN ROUTE TO LEWISTOWN. APPROXIMATELY 50 NAUTICAL MILES SHORT OF HIS DESTINATION, OVER HILLY/MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH TREES NEAR THE TOP OF A 7650 FOOT RIDGELINE AND CRASHED. THE PILOT REPORTED LOW CEILINGS AND 1.5 MILES VISIBILITY RESTRICTED BY MODERATE RAIN AND CLOUDS AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. HE ALSO REPORTED A LOSS OF ALTITUDE AT FULL POWER APPROACHING THE RIDGELINE THAT WAS NOT ATTRIBUTED TO ANY AIRCRAFT MALFUNCTION.
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: 263 hours in all; 198 in this make and model; 36 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 256 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,662 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 1991; 53 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1S6 Priest River ID at 3:36 pm
- Destination: LWT Lewistown MT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 45 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,500 ft; scat at 700 ft
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:50 pm from GTF, 38 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.
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.