What happened
During a nighttime departure from Miles City Airport, an aircraft was climbing through an unlit region when the pilot received clearance to reach an altitude of 6,000 feet. While maintaining high speed at a relatively low altitude, the outer portion of the left wing experienced a structural failure and became detached from the airframe. This loss of structural integrity caused the aircraft to enter an uncontrolled descent, ultimately impacting a field. The pilot, who was the only person on board, was killed in the accident.
Findings
Investigations into the crash identified that the aircraft's airframe failed during flight, leading to the loss of control and subsequent impact. The investigation concluded that the primary cause was an overload failure where the structural limits of the wings were exceeded. Additional contributing factors noted during the inquiry included:
- The wing structure was subjected to stresses beyond its designed capacity
- Separation of aircraft components occurred during flight
- A fire broke out following the impact with the ground