What happened
On September 19, 2025, at approximately 12:05 mountain daylight time, an experimental amateur-built Murphy SR3500, registration N62ZT, was destroyed in an accident near Bigfork, Montana. The flight was being operated under 14 CFR Part 91 for personal use.
According to witness accounts, the tailwheel-equipped aircraft departed Kalispell City Airport (S27) at approximately 11:30 for a local flight. At about 12:00, the aircraft approached runway 33 at Ferndale Airfield (53U). During the landing attempt on runway 33, witnesses observed the airplane bounce twice. The aircraft was seen rolling out on its main landing gear with the tail in an upward position, at which point the engine was heard increasing power.
As the airplane reached the departure end of runway 33, it was heard climbing when the engine emitted a sudden, loud bang and popping sound, after which the engine became quiet. The aircraft then struck trees to the right of the runway 33 overrun area, resulting in a post-crash fire. The pilot sustained 1 fatal injury.
The investigation
Examination of the accident site showed the aircraft impacted trees at the eastern edge of the runway 33 overrun area, coming to rest upright at an elevation of 3,079 feet MSL, approximately 875 feet from the end of the runway. The first identified point of contact was a pine tree that had been topped approximately 50 feet above ground level, located 104 feet from the main wreckage on a magnetic heading of 177°.
The fuselage was thermally destroyed and positioned on a magnetic heading of 121° among several downed trees. The right wing was found at the base of a tree near the initial point of contact, while the left wing was located to the right of the main wreckage. The empennage was situated approximately 45 feet beyond the main wreckage on a magnetic heading of 050°. The engine remained attached to the fuselage despite thermal damage, and outboard segments of both propeller blades were found within the debris path.