Piper PA-32-300 accident near Great Falls, Montana, July 13, 1998
On July 13, 1998 at about 8:36 pm local time, a Piper PA-32-300, registered CGDBT, was substantially damaged in an accident near Great Falls, Montana (Great Falls International airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot-in-command's improper remedial action and overload of the nose landing gear. Contributing factors were gusty winds and a pilot-induced oscillation (porpoise).
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 13, 1998 · about 8:36 pm local time
- Place
- Great Falls, Montana · Great Falls International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-300 · all PA-32-300s on the register
- Registration
- CGDBT · no longer on the register · serial 327440003
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was executing a landing to runway 21 at the Great Falls International airport and reported that 'approximately 10 to 15 feet above the runway, the plane dropped suddenly, hitting the runway hard and starting a series of bounces-each bounce progressively higher-that I attempted to control with elevator and power. At the time, I was able to keep the plane straight down the runway but was being blown to the left by the cross wind. After the fourth bounce, I opted for a nose down landing in the face of my greater concern of leaving the runway and flipping the aircraft.' Tower controllers reported that they observed the aircraft begin porpoising with increasing severity during which the nose landing gear collapsed. The 1435 surface weather observation taken at the Great Falls International airport on the date of the accident reported winds from 230 degrees magnetic at 22 knots gusting to 30 knots.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 340 hours in all; 153 in this make and model; 53 in the last 90 days; 32 in the last 30 days; 246 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,122 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 28, 1998; 55 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BIS Bismarck ND at 4:38 pm
- Destination: GTF
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 21, 10,502 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 22 knots, gusting 30
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:35 pm from GTF
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.
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.