Cessna 182Q accident near Conner, Montana, July 6, 1999
On July 6, 1999 at about 12:30 pm local time, a Cessna 182Q, registered N759MZ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Conner, Montana (Trapper Creek 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 attempt to take off on an unsuitable runway surface due to standing water on the runway. Factors include standing water on the airstrip.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 6, 1999 · about 12:30 pm local time
- Place
- Conner, Montana · Trapper Creek · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182Q · all 182Qs on the register
- Registration
- N759MZ · registry record
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he taxied through what appeared to be a thin layer of standing water from a leaky irrigation ditch on the grass airstrip. He attempted a soft-field takeoff, using full power on the takeoff roll on 200-300 feet of dry ground before reaching the water on the airstrip's surface. Water 'laying at an angle' caught the left main gear and turned the airplane to the left, 'sending it into a hydroplane.' He aborted the takeoff, pulling the power back. The airplane struck a fence with the wing, causing it to swing around and come to a rest nose down in a ditch.
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: 1,130 hours in all; 1,090 in this make and model; 1,090 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 26, 1999; 13 hours since
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-470U (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0, 1,800 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- 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.
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.