Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3 accident near Red Lodge, Montana, August 31, 2025
On August 31, 2025 at about 2:45 pm local time, a 1941 Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3, registered N45254, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (aborted after touchdown) near Red Lodge, Montana (Red Lodge airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from obstacles during an aborted landing. Contributing to the accident was the high density altitude weather condition.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 31, 2025 · about 2:45 pm local time
- Place
- Red Lodge, Montana · Red Lodge · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3, built 1941 · all N3N-3s on the register
- Registration
- N45254 · registry record · serial 2601
- 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, while landing he executed a go around due to numerous people on the grass runway. On the second approach the airplane touched down hard and bounced so the pilot added power and initiated a go-around. During the go-around, the airplane impacted a wire fence at the end of the runway and subsequently struck powerlines before it came to rest. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot reported that he had previously only flown low approaches at the airport, and he had not landed there before. He also reported there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The nearest weather reporting station, about 27 miles southeast of the accident site, reported around the time of the accident, altimeter setting of 30.31 inches of mercury, and temperature of 68° F. The calculated density altitude was 7,349 ft.
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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing (aborted after touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Climb rate › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › High density altitude › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,641 hours in all; 406 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: August 8, 2023
- Medical certificate: BasicMed
- Seat: rear
- Injury: minor injuries
Passenger
- Seat: frt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 791.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 28, 2024; 13 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Naval Aircraft Factory 760-8 (piston); 812 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Priv Columbus MT at 2:10 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16/3, 4,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.31 inHg
- Observation at 8:55 am from KPOY, 27 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KPOY 311455Z AUTO 15003KT 10SM CLR 20/02 A3031 RMK AO2
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR25LA271.