Piper PA-18-135 accident near Biddle, Montana, July 8, 1997
On July 8, 1997 at about 2:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-18-135, registered N3253B, was destroyed in an accident near Biddle, Montana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot-in-command's failure to maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in a stall/mush. A factor contributing to the accident was the tailwind condition on takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 8, 1997 · about 2:15 pm local time
- Place
- Biddle, Montana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-135 · all PA-18-135s on the register
- Registration
- N3253B · no longer on the register · serial 18-3270
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot took off downhill and to the northeast with a left quartering tail wind from the southwest of approximately 5-8 knots. Shortly thereafter the aircraft crossed over a bluff where the terrain dropped off, and passed over an area populated with deciduous trees. The aircraft began to settle and the pilot executed a left turn toward the west. Just after the aircraft cleared the tree line, it impacted the ground left wing and nose low, coming to rest 49 feet beyond the initial ground impact point. A post crash fire developed and the pilot and his wife exited with minor injuries.
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: 1,130 hours in all; 300 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (expired)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 23, 1996
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290-02 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Destination: Brandenberg MT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.