Beech 58P accident near Great Falls, Montana, November 8, 1994
On November 8, 1994 at about 5:04 pm local time, a Beech 58P, registered N180PB, was substantially damaged in an accident near Great Falls, Montana. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED. A FACTOR TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: INADEQUATE AIRCRAFT PREFLIGHT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 8, 1994 · about 5:04 pm local time
- Place
- Great Falls, Montana
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 58P · all 58Ps on the register
- Registration
- N180PB · registry record · serial TJ-251
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
JUST AFTER LIFT OFF, THE PILOT RADIOED THE TOWER THAT HE WAS GOING TO RETURN FOR LANDING. THE CONTROLLER STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED IN A STANDARD RATE TURN TO THE LEFT AT 50 FEET AGL AND A SLOW AIRSPEED. THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED THE LEFT TURN, WHEN THE NOSE OF THE AIRPLANE SUDDENLY DROPPED AND THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH LEVEL OPEN TERRAIN. WITNESSES STATED THAT THEY OBSERVED AN OBJECT, THAT WAS LATER IDENTIFIED AS A GARMENT BAG, FALL FROM THE AIRPLANE NEAR THE END OF THE RUNWAY. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THAT BOTH CABIN DOORS WERE SECURED AND LOCKED. THE NOSE BAGGAGE DOOR HAD BEEN CONSUMED IN THE FIRE. BOTH LATCHES TO THE DOOR WERE FOUND ON THE GROUND UNDER THE AIRCRAFT'S NOSE. THE INTERNAL LOCKING MECHANISM TO THESE LATCHES WERE IN THE LOCKED POSITION. THE LATCHES CAN BE LOCKED WITHOUT THE DOOR BEING COMPLETELY CLOSED.
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, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,500 hours in all; 26 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,445 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 25, 1994
- Maximum gross weight: 5,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-WB (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Destination: SDY Sidney MT
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 16°F (-9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:05 pm from GTF, 1 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 SEA95FA017.