Piper PA-17 accident near Bozeman, Montana, February 15, 1998
On February 15, 1998 at about 9:17 pm local time, a Piper PA-17, registered N4835H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bozeman, Montana (Bozeman 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 directional control during takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 15, 1998 · about 9:17 pm local time · cases in 1998
- Place
- Bozeman, Montana · Bozeman · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-17 · all PA-17s on the register
- Registration
- N4835H · registry record · serial 17-133
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The tailwheel airplane sustained substantial damage when the pilot lost directional control during takeoff and ground looped. Winds were calm at the time. The pilot stated that he 'got behind [it] and ground-looped.'
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: 569 hours in all; 536 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,206 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 2, 1997; 166 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,150 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental A65-8 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BZM at 9:17 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 12, 9,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N4835H on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Piper PA-17 Vagabond 97 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Piper 44,838 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Continental A65-8 137 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Bozeman Yellowstone International · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Montana 1,121 since 1982 · 166 in the last ten years
- Montana 6,044 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/SEA98LA036.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.