Cessna 180G accident near Kalispell, Montana, June 19, 1999
On June 19, 1999 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Cessna 180G, registered N4707U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kalispell, Montana (Kalispell City 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
An encounter with a crosswind gust, which was not possible to compensate for.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 19, 1999 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Kalispell, Montana · Kalispell City · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 180G · all 180Gs on the register
- Registration
- N4707U · registry record · serial 18051407
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that during landing roll on runway 31, 'a strong gust of wind hit the plane and lifted it up', and that 'when this happened the wind got under my left wing and lifted it up.' He stated that 'at this point the plane was moving [too] slow to have effective control to counter [the] wind and the right wing scraped the runway.' The pilot reported that no mechanical malfunction or failure was involved. Winds at a nearby airport were reported as southwesterly with gusts up to 21 knots, and a gust factor (gust speed minus sustained wind speed) of 7 to 11 knots, during the time frame of the accident.
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: 278 hours in all; 36 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 225 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,600 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 2, 1999; 60 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470-R (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MSO Missoula MT at 3:00 pm
- Destination: S27
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 3,600 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 202° at 10 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:56 pm from FCA, 9 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N4707U the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.