Piper PA-24-260 N9080P

Summary

On 7 January 1997 at about 03:26 local time, a Piper PA-24-260 registered N9080P, operated by Dakota Ridge Aviation, Inc., was involved in an accident near Winston, Montana, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

7 January 1997 at 03:26

Classification

Accident

Location

Winston, Montana, United States

Coordinates

46.5297, -111.7702

Aircraft

Piper PA-24-260

Registration

N9080P

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Dakota Ridge Aviation, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Billings → Spokane

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

Unk

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

SEA97FA044

3 people died.

Pilot incapacitation due to hypoxia. Failure of the pilot to use available oxygen is a factor.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

An ATC controller observed the night IFR flight with the 68-year old pilot deviating south of course then correcting back a little bit before deviating south again. The deviations were as much as 90 degrees, and altitude varied by about 14,400 feet MSL down to 14,000 feet MSL. Then, approximately 10 southeast of Helena, Montana, radar contact was lost in an area of normally good radar coverage. The airplane sustained an in-flight breakup before impacting in hilly terrain. The flight had been cleared to climb to 12,000 feet at 1936; at 2006 the controlller noted that 'I don't know where he's going...he's all over the place....' During on-scene investigation, it was determined that the portable oxygen bottle being carried in the airplane was not being used by the pilot. The pilot was known to fly at altitudes above 12,500 feet, and as high as 17,000 feet, without using oxygen. An autopsy of the pilot revealed atherosclerosis of coronary arteries with 90% stenosis of left anterior descending coronary artery and 90% stenosis of right coronary artery, as well as multiple blunt force injuries.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.