Piper PA-22-150 accident near Terry, Montana, March 25, 2010
On March 25, 2010 at about 5:30 am local time, a Piper PA-22-150, registered N3351Z, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Terry, Montana (Terry Airport). It was a business 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's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll in gusting winds. Contributing to the accident was a loss of engine power on final approach due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot having to divert due to deteriorating weather conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 25, 2010 · about 5:30 am local time
- Place
- Terry, Montana · Terry Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22-150 · all PA-22-150s on the register
- Registration
- N3351Z · no longer on the register · serial 22-7291
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot, who elected to make a nighttime visual-flight-rules, cross-country business flight, did not acquire a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) or Direct User Access Terminal weather briefing prior to departure. Instead he gathered his weather information by making a phone call to an acquaintance who was located at his destination and by checking with the FAA's Flight Watch while en route. As he proceeded toward his destination the pilot began flying over a scattered-to-broken cloud layer, which eventually turned to overcast as he neared his destination. After realizing that he would not be able to get into his planned destination, he attempted to get to another airport, but the weather also deteriorated at that airport as well. The pilot then reversed course and headed back in the direction he had come from in the hopes of finding an airport that had visual meteorological conditions (VMC). He was eventually able to descend through a hole in the clouds, but had to pass up the nearest airport because of the bad weather there. He eventually located an airport with VMC, but his airplane ran out of fuel while on a half-mile final. Although he was able to glide to the approach end of the runway, the pilot reported that he landed on the threshold and the airplane bounced once, then settled on the runway. As the tail came down, a gust of wind hit the airplane, which subsequently ground-looped and resulted in substantial damage to the lower left side longeron.
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
What happened, in order
- Preflight or dispatch event during prior to flight
- Fuel exhaustion during approach
- Loss of engine power (total) during approach defining event
- Loss of control on ground during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › Low ceiling › Contributed to outcome
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- factor Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 754 hours in all; 230 in this make and model; 36 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 700 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 8, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 20, 2009
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KBIL Billings Logan MT at 1:30 am
- Destination: 05D New Town ND
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 4,300 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: at 25 knots, gusting 35
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 10,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.