Accident Overview
On September 21, 1984, a Beech 35 aircraft, registration N3736Q, crashed into the side of a mountain located 16 miles northeast of Missoula, Montana. At the time of the accident, the airplane was conducting a VOR/DME8 instrument approach.
Flight Details
The pilot had reported encountering icing, turbulence, and intermittent VOR-DME reception during the approach. The last altitude report from the pilot was 8,500 feet, with the aircraft on a heading of 250 degrees. Missoula Approach Control instructed the pilot to proceed with an arc to the southeast at a distance of 16 nautical miles, then intercept the 152-degree radial inbound to the final approach fix, after which the pilot would abort the approach.
Final Sequence
The aircraft was approaching the arc from the east, which required a left turn to begin the arc. However, the pilot instead turned right and proceeded toward the northwest. The pilot's last position report placed the aircraft on the 16-nautical-mile arc at the 028 radial. The crash site was later found at a position 14 nautical miles from the Missoula VORTAC on the 013 radial.