N2764QCessna 182K · 1967

On August 08, 2024, at 1301 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 182K airplane, N2764Q, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Augusta, Montana. The pilot and two passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

According to the pilot’s spouse, the pilot and passengers were traveling to an event in Bozeman, Montana. A review of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ADS-B information revealed that the airplane departed from Pullman Moscow Regional Airport, Pullman, Washington, about 1120. Following departure, the airplane continued on an east-northeasterly heading and maintained an altitude between 7,500 and 8,000 ft mean sea level (msl). The airplane’s ADS-B track ended when it entered mountainous terrain in the southernmost portion of the Bob Marshall Wilderness. The last ADS-B return was located about 25 nautical miles southwest of the accident site.

An Appareo Stratus 3 portable electronic device was recovered from the airplane wreckage at the accident site. The recorded data included the entire accident flight, which started at 1120:00 and ended at 1301:48. The airplane made a direct flight from the departure airport over lower mountainous terrain before crossing near Seely Lake and flying through higher mountainous terrain in the Bob Marshall and Scapegoat Wilderness areas of the Rocky Mountains (see figure 1).

Figure 1: Flight path showing flight track

The flight track revealed that as the airplane continued eastbound through increasingly higher terrain, it turned consistent with following the lowest available terrain ahead, while progressively descending as it travelled further east. The airplane made about seven turns with greater than 45° heading changes before entering a canyon at the eastern edge of the mountain range (see figure 2).

Figure 2: Airplane entering the last canyon

At 1259:37, the airplane entered another narrow valley and continued maneuvering eastward at an altitude about 7,200 ft msl. At 1301:28, the airplane began to climb while the speed slowed. Over the next 12 seconds, the airplane climbed about 275 ft to 7,770 ft msl and its groundspeed decreased from about 90 knots (kts) to 45 kts. During the last 8 seconds of the recorded data, the airplane descended to 7,584 ft as its groundspeed increased to 74 kts (see figure 3).

Figure 3: Last 8 seconds of the flight

The pilot held a private pilot certificate with a rating for airplane single-engine land. He did not hold an instrument rating. He was issued an FAA third-class medical certificate without limitations in February 2024, at which time he reported 149 total hours of flight experience. The pilot’s spouse indicated that the pilot had recently reported he had accrued about 200 to 215 total hours of flight experience. The pilot’s logbook was not located following the accident. There was no indication that the pilot had completed a specialized mountain flying course or training.

Previous Flights

Review of publicly available ADS-B flight records for the accident airplane, which was owned by the pilot, covering the period from January 2023 though August 2024 revealed that it was flown regularly in the Portland, Oregon, area. Additionally, many of the cross-country flights were flown direct, point-to-point. None of the recorded flights were in or over the Rocky Mountains or through complex mountainous terrain comparable to that of the accident flight.

The airplane was manufactured in 1967 and powered by a Continental O-470-R series engine with a three-blade Hartzell constant-speed propeller. The airplane was equipped with a Garmin GTN650 GPS/NAV/COM and an autopilot.

The last annual inspection of the airplane was recorded as being completed on March 18, 2024, at a total time of 3,200.4 airframe hours and 275.7 hours since major engine overhaul.

Fuel records indicated that the pilot purchased 30.81 gallons of 100LL aviation fuel in Pullman, Washington, at 1012 on the morning of the accident flight.

There was no record of the pilot filing a flight plan or requesting flight following services.

A High-Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR) model sounding near the accident location at 1300 indicated overcast cloud cover extending from near the surface to approximately 10,000 ft. The freezing level was near 12,100 ft. Winds from the surface to about 9,000 ft were from the east at 5 to 10 kts, veering to westerly winds near 10 kts by 15,000 ft. The model did not identify significant turbulence layers in the altitude range relevant to the accident flight.

Satellite imagery showed infrared brightness temperatures over the accident site consistent with cloud tops near 16,000 ft. These satellite products supported the presence of widespread cloud cover over the region at the time of the accident.

Area Forecast Discussions noted lingering low clouds and the potential for scattered showers, particularly over terrain, with mountain obscuration expected in portions of central and southwestern Montana.

G-AIRMETs are graphical aviation weather advisories that identify areas of widespread but less-than-severe hazards that could affect aircraft safety over a defined time period. On the day of the accident, G-AIRMETs were issued at 0845 and 1205 for “mountain obscuration in precipitation and mist.” Both advisories were valid at the time and location of the accident.

Graphical Forecasts for Aviation (GFA) are issued for the purpose of providing users, primarily pilots, information about weather expected in a given area. On the day of the flight, GFAs that detailed predicted weather at the accident location were issued at 1200, indicated as follows:

At 1200, the 0-hour forecast for the accident site indicated a predicted broken to overcast cloud layer with cloud bases between 6,000 and 9,000 ft msl, a high overcast layer, visibility greater than 5 statute miles (sm), and a ceiling greater than 2000 ft above ground level (agl).

At 1200, the 1-hour forecast for the accident site indicated a predicted overcast layer with cloud bases between 6,000 and 9,000 ft msl, visibility reducing nearby, and a ceiling at 1,000 to 2,000 ft agl.

At 1200, the 2-hour forecast for the accident site indicated a predicted overcast layer with cloud bases between 6,000 and 9,000 ft msl, visibility of 0.5 to 2 sm, and a ceiling of 100 to 500 ft agl.

Several pilots who were flying in the area near the time of the accident reported that the cloud bases were between 6,500 and 8,000 ft msl with the mountains obstructed by clouds. The tops of the cloud layers were reported to be between 9,500 and 11,000 ft msl. One of the hikers who reported the accident location took several pictures and provided his observations of the weather. He stated that it was incredibly foggy during their hike, with visibility often reduced to less than 20 yards as the fog moved in and out, sometimes obscuring the horizon completely. When they reached the saddle, the wind picked up dramatically, and they were enveloped in fog (see figure 4).

Figure 4: Picture taken by hiker at 1351 (located 2,600 ft northwest of the accident site)

The airplane was manufactured in 1967 and powered by a Continental O-470-R series engine with a three-blade Hartzell constant-speed propeller. The airplane was equipped with a Garmin GTN650 GPS/NAV/COM and an autopilot.

The last annual inspection of the airplane was recorded as being completed on March 18, 2024, at a total time of 3,200.4 airframe hours and 275.7 hours since major engine overhaul.

Fuel records indicated that the pilot purchased 30.81 gallons of 100LL aviation fuel in Pullman, Washington, at 1012 on the morning of the accident flight.

The accident site was located in a rugged, mountainous canyon 17 nm west of Augusta, Montana. The terrain consisted of loose scree beneath firmer ledges and rocky outcrops, bisected by a gradual central gully with forest vegetation. The south canyon wall reached an elevation of 8,450 ft msl, while the north wall, known as Crown Mountain, peaked at 8,400 ft msl. The airplane came to rest on a steep south-facing slope at an elevation of 7,550 ft msl.

The airplane’s nose was oriented upslope on a magnetic heading about140°. The wreckage was scattered over a 90-ft area with the most distant debris, primarily windscreen fragments, located east of the main wreckage. The main wreckage, which included all major control surfaces, was found 800 ft below the cliff's top and 625 ft above the canyon floor (see figure 5). The fuselage and inboard sections of the wings had been consumed by fire.

Figure 5: Accident site in reference to terrain

Within the debris field, fragments of red and blue/green plastic navigation light lens covers were found east and west of the main wreckage, respectively, consistent with the wings impacting the terrain with the airplane in a nearly level attitude.

The right and left wings came to rest upright, and the flap and aileron control surfaces remained attached at their respective hinges. The leading edges of both wings sustained aft crush damage and the bottom wing surfaces incurred the most damage, with the skin folded over on itself in an accordioned manner. The flap cables were attached at the drive pulley. The flap actuator extension was consistent with a flaps fully retracted position.

An external examination of the engine revealed no evidence of a catastrophic failure. The most concentrated heat distress was at the accessory case, and the entire carburetor was melted. The upper spark plugs were removed from all cylinders and were light gray in color. According to the Champion Aviation Check-A-Plug AV-27 Chart, these spark plug signatures correspond to normal engine operation. Rocker covers were removed and oil was present at each location. Valves and rockers appeared normal. Examination of all cylinders revealed no foreign object damage, no evidence of detonation, and no indication of excessive oil consumption.

An autopsy performed by the State of Montana Office of Medical Investigators revealed that the pilot died as a result of blunt force injuries.

Toxicology testing performed by the FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory did not identify the presence of any screened drug substances or ingested alcohol.