Champion 7ECA accident near Jardine, Montana, November 27, 1998
On November 27, 1998 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Champion 7ECA, registered N8306V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Jardine, Montana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 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 failure to maintain adequate clearance with trees and terrain. Contributing factors were unfavorable winds, mountainous terrain and trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 27, 1998 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Jardine, Montana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Champion 7ECA · all 7ECAs on the register
- Registration
- N8306V · registry record · serial 244
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot-in-command, accompanied by a passenger, departed on an elk-spotting flight in the Piper PA-18. Approximately 9,500 feet above sea level, while in mountainous terrain, the aircraft encountered leeward wind conditions and the pilot attempted a course reversal. During the reversal, the pilot determined that too much altitude had been lost and he continued the turn, returning to the original downslope track toward lower terrain. During the descending turn, the pilot perceived a stall condition, lowered the nose further, and applied rudder to effect a recovery. Shortly thereafter, the aircraft entered into more stable wind conditions and the pilot attempted to avoid tree impacts by raising the nose. The aircraft impacted trees during the pullout, after which the pilot returned to his point of origination and landed.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 10,000 hours in all; 250 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,664 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 14, 1998; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,650 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-C1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 29S Gardiner MT at 6:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 25,000 ft; scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 41°F (5°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:56 pm from BZN, 48 miles away
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.