White BD-5 accident near Helena, Montana, September 25, 1993
On September 25, 1993 at about 1:15 am local time, a White BD-5, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N273GW, was substantially damaged in an accident near Helena, Montana (Helena Regional airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was 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 AIRSPEED. THE PILOT'S LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN THIS MAKE AND MODEL AIRCRAFT WAS A FACTOR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 25, 1993 · about 1:15 am local time
- Place
- Helena, Montana · Helena Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- White BD-5, amateur-built
- Registration
- N273GW · no longer on the register · serial GW-1
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING A TOUCH-AND-GO LANDING, THE PILOT, WHO HAD ONLY FIVE HOURS EXPERIENCE IN THIS MAKE AND MODEL AIRCRAFT, ALLOWED THE AIRSPEED TO GET LOW. DUE TO THE LOW AIRSPEED, THE AIRCRAFT DROPPED HARD ONTO THE RUNWAY, AND THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED. THE AIRCRAFT THEN SKIDDED OFF THE RUNWAY AND IMPACTED A RUNWAY LIGHT, WHICH RESULTED IN DAMAGE TO THE FUEL SYSTEM. SPARKS FROM THE LIGHT SYSTEM IGNITED FUEL THAT WAS LEAKING FROM THE DAMAGED FUEL SYSTEM, AND THE AIRCRAFT CAUGHT FIRE AND PARTIALLY BURNED.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 550 hours in all; 5 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 15 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 8, 1993; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 800 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Rotax 503 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 9,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 270° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; not recorded at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.