Socata TBM 700 accident near Kalispell, Montana, August 11, 2025
On August 11, 2025 at about 8:07 pm local time, a 2011 Socata TBM 700, registered N860CA, was destroyed in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Kalispell, Montana (Kalispell City Airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s unstable approach to the runway, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall at low altitude and impact with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 11, 2025 · about 8:07 pm local time · cases in 2025
- Place
- Kalispell, Montana · Kalispell City Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Socata TBM 700, built 2011 · all TBM 700s on the register
- Registration
- N860CA · registry record · serial 596
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the airplane reported that the airplane was too high during approach to the airport, and he responded by reducing the engine power to idle. When the airplane was about 40 ft above the runway, the “airspeed” aural caution sounded, and the pilot added engine power; however, the airspeed continued to decay, and the “stall” aural warning sounded. The airplane subsequently rolled left, impacted terrain alongside the left side of the runway, caught fire, and slid into the airport apron. The pilot and passengers were able to exit the airplane through the main cabin door before the airplane was destroyed by postaccident fire. The pilot reported there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,704.6 hours in all; 1,244.9 in this make and model; 43 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 1,445.8 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 21, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,312 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 15, 2024
- Maximum gross weight: 7,430 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-66D (turboprop); 3,312 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Decagon Services INC
The flight
- Departed from: PUW Pullman WA at 7:45 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 13, 3,600 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 1:55 pm from KGPI, 8 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KGPI 111955Z 16007KT 10SM CLR 29/12 A3006 RMK AO2 SLP162 T02940117
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
Photographs from the investigation 3 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photograph 1 – The approach end of the runway and area of initial impact.
Photograph 2 – The area of initial impact.
Photograph 3 – The main wreckage, viewed from the front left.The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on November 6, 2025. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Video from FBO | video | View Download |
| 3 | ADS-B Data | map file | Download |
| 4 | Investigation Photographs | PDF, 4 pages · our copy | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N860CA on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Daher (Socata) TBM-700 TBM 700 through TBM 960 1,008 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-66D 322 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Kalispell City Airport · nearest airport
- Pullman/Moscow Regional · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Montana 1,121 since 1982 · 166 in the last ten years
- Montana 6,045 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/WPR25LA251.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.