Cessna 402C accident near Billings, Montana, February 7, 1994
On February 7, 1994 at about 1:53 am local time, a Cessna 402C, registered N2718Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Billings, Montana (Billings airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE NOSE GEAR ACTUATOR FROZE. A FACTOR TO THE ACCIDENT WAS TEMPERATURE EXTREMES.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 7, 1994 · about 1:53 am local time
- Place
- Billings, Montana · Billings
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 402C · all 402Cs on the register
- Registration
- N2718Y · registry record · serial 402C0232
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER TAKEOFF, THE PILOT RETRACTED THE LANDING GEAR AND NOTED THAT THE MAIN GEAR LIGHTS WENT OUT BUT THE GEAR LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE PILOT CYCLED THE GEAR WITH THE SAME RESULTS. THE PILOT SELECTED THE GEAR DOWN AND RETURNED FOR LANDING WITH A THREE GREEN INDICATION. DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED. NO EVIDENCE WAS FOUND TO INDICATE A MECHANICAL FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION, HOWEVER THE MECHANIC STATED THAT DUE TO THE EXTREME LOW TEMP CONDITIONS THE NOSE GEAR ACTUATOR MAY HAVE FROZEN AND DID NOT ALLOW THE NOSE GEAR TO COMPLETE A FULL RANGE OF TRAVEL TO THE UP LOCK OR DOWN LOCK.
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; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,500 hours in all; 1,500 in this make and model; 151 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 4,800 as pilot in command; 200 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 20,316 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, January 4, 1994; 24 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,850 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-VB (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: MLS Miles City MT
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 10L, 10,528 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 060° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 4,900 ft; scat at 2,300 ft
- Temperature: -6°F (-21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 am from BIL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| 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.