Cessna 550 accident near Billings, Montana, December 18, 1992
On December 18, 1992 at about 11:45 pm local time, a Cessna 550, registered N6887Y, was destroyed in an accident near Billings, Montana (Billings Logan Intl. airport). It was a public-use flight under public-use (government) rules. 8 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S FAILURE TO FOLLOW ESTABLISHED VORTEX AVOIDANCE PROCEDURES, AS PUBLISHED IN THE AIRMAN'S INFORMATION MANUAL, TO PROVIDE HIS OWN WAKE TURBULENCE SEPARATION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 18, 1992 · about 11:45 pm local time
- Place
- Billings, Montana · Billings Logan Intl. · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 8 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 550 · all 550s on the register
- Registration
- N6887Y · no longer on the register · serial 550-0293
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Public-use flight · public-use (government) rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING DESCENT INTO BILLINGS, THE CITATION WAS SEQUENCED BEHIND A BOEING 757, AND BOTH AIRPLANES WERE EVENTUALLY CLEARED FOR VISUAL APPROACHES. ABOUT 1-1/2 MI FROM THE RUNWAY THE CITATION WAS OBSERVED TO ROLL RAPIDLY TO THE INVERTED POSITION & DESCEND ALMOST VERTICALLY INTO THE GROUND. ACCORDING TO ATC TRANSCRIPTS AND THE AIRPLANES'S COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER, THE CREW OF THE CITATION HAD MAINTAINED VISUAL AWARENESS OF THE POSITION OF THE B-757 THROUGHOUT THE APPROACH. AT THE TIME OF THE UPSET, THE VERTICAL SEPARATION BETWEEN AIRPLANES WAS 600-1000 FT, AND THE HORIZONTAL SEPARATION WAS DECREASING BELOW 2.6 MI. ONE OF THE CITATION CAPTAIN'S LAST COMMENTS WAS 'ALMOST RAN OVER A SEVEN FIFTY SEVEN.' WINDS WERE 5 KTS.
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,200 hours in all; 4,415 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,275 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, November 6, 1992; 45 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 13,500 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W JT15D-4 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Department Of Energy (Wapa)
The flight
- Departed from: ATY Watertown SD at 10:01 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 27R, 10,528 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 350° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 1°F (-17°C), dew point 5°F (-15°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from BIL, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 6 |
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.