Cessna A185F accident near Winnett, Montana, June 13, 2012
On June 13, 2012 at about 2:34 am local time, a Cessna A185F, registered CGZVF, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Winnett, Montana. 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
A momentary loss of engine power, which led to an emergency descent at night during which the airplane collided with a wire. The reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined because postaccident examination and operation did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 13, 2012 · about 2:34 am local time
- Place
- Winnett, Montana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna A185F · all A185Fs on the register
- Registration
- CGZVF · no longer on the register · serial 185-03202
- 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 he recently purchased the accident airplane, which had previously been in storage. Before he departed, the airplane’s fuel tanks were filled and a preflight check revealed no contaminants. During the night flight, the pilot switched fuel tanks, and the engine sputtered and lost power. He attempted to restart the engine while descending toward a highway for a forced landing. After the pilot switched the fuel selector back to the original fuel tank, the engine restarted; however, moments later the airplane struck a transmission wire, which the pilot did not see until the last minute because of the dark lighting conditions. The pilot made a forced landing in a field. The pilot attributed the engine sputtering to undetected water in the fuel system; however, a postaccident examination of the fuel system revealed no contaminants, and operation of the engine showed no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot added that he had “recently lost his wife and had not been thinking correctly.” The pilot did not have a current flight review or medical certificate.
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
- Loss of engine power (partial) during landing defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Mental/emotional state › (general) › Pilot
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 12,000 hours in all; 7,000 in this make and model; 10 in the last 30 days; 12,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 1, 1990
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 12,159 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 7, 2012; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-520-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CEN4 High River
- Destination: KBIL Billings MT
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.90 inHg
- Observation at 2:54 am from LWT, 140 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.