Cessna 177 accident near Thompson Falls, Montana, December 18, 1997
On December 18, 1997 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Cessna 177, registered N2988X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Thompson Falls, Montana (Thompson Falls airport). It was an instructional 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's improper remedial action when confronted with a porpoised landing. A factor was his failure to execute a go-around maneuver.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 18, 1997 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Thompson Falls, Montana · Thompson Falls · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177 · all 177s on the register
- Registration
- N2988X · registry record · serial 17700388
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot, on his first solo flight, allowed the aircraft to touch down on all three wheels simultaneously, during which a porpoise developed. Four additional nose-down ground impact cycles followed before the aircraft came to a stop. The pilot did not attempt a go-around maneuver.
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
What happened, in order
- HARD LANDING during landing - flare/touchdown
Pilot
- Ratings: none, none, none, none
- Flight time: 21 hours in all; 21 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: class 3
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,306 hours
- Last inspection: type not recorded, September 10, 1997; 45 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1F6D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operating certificate: in the vicinity
The flight
- Departed from: THM at 5:25 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 4,200 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 4,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 28°C, dew point 0°C
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 SEA98LA025.