The National Transportation Safety Board has issued its preliminary report in the airplane accident that killed two people south of Billings.
The report does not specify the cause of the crash, but mentions weather conditions were poor when the plane left Sheridan Wyoming.
The accident occurred on Tuesday, October 13th in the foothills of the Big Horn Mountains about 35 miles southeast of Billings.
Fred Wallis of Lavina and Scott Shimamoto of Billings were both killed in the crash. Wallis and Shimamoto were returning from a trip to Sheridan where they were doing work on a home under construction.
According to the NTSB report an airport lineman at Sheridan said the Cessna 182 took off at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday in what was described as poor weather conditions with limited visibility and cold temperatures. The wreckage was not found until the following morning.
The report said the aircraft sustained substantial damage, but there was no fire. The plane was destined for the Laurel airport.
The following is the complete text of the NTSB Preliminary report.
NTSB Identification: WPR10FA018
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Tuesday, October 13, 2009 in Pryor, MT
Aircraft: CESSNA 182, registration: N6202A
Injuries: 2 Fatal.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.
On October 13, 2009, about 1141 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 182, N6202A, collided with terrain approximately 14 miles east-northeast of Pryor, Montana. The private pilot, who was also the registered owner of the airplane, was operating it under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The pilot and one passenger were killed. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The pilot departed from the Sheridan County Airport, Sheridan, Wyoming, about 1100, and was destined for Laurel Municipal Airport, Laurel, Montana.
According to a family member of the pilot, the pilot and passenger had departed from Laurel earlier on the date of the accident to conduct work in Sheridan. The pilot had contacted a family member and advised that the return flight would take longer than normal due to weather conditions along the route of flight. When the airplane did not arrive, family members contacted authorities to initiate a search for the airplane. The wreckage was located by aerial search and rescue volunteers the morning of October 14.
An Airport Lineman working at the Sheridan airport the morning of the accident reported that the accident airplane landed between 0800 and 0900. The pilot requested that the fuel tanks be fueled to capacity. The pilot and passenger then left the airport and returned about 1045. The airplane departed at 1100. According to the lineman, who was also a private pilot, "the weather conditions were poor" the day of the accident, with limited visibility and cold temperatures.
The nearest aviation weather reporting facility was Billings Logan International Airport, Billings, Montana, located about 27 miles northwest of the accident site. The airport is at an elevation of 3,652 feet. At 1153, the following conditions were reported: winds calm, visibility 10 statute miles, cloud ceilings overcast at 1,000 feet, temperature minus 2 degrees Celsius, dew point minus 4 degrees Celsius, and altimeter 29.95 inches of Mercury.
Investigators responded to the accident site on October 15. The debris field was approximately 210 feet in length and at an elevation of about 4,300 feet mean sea level. The airplane had been equipped with an electronic locator transmitter (ELT) and it had sustained impact damage and was inoperable. The propeller remained attached to the engine crankshaft flange and the engine and propeller had separated from the fuselage. All control surfaces and major structural components were identified. There was no fire.
The wreckage will be further examined following its recovery from the accident site.
(from October 16, 2009)
Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board have wrapped up their on site work at the scene of a fatal plane crash near Fort Smith.
The NTSB arrived at the crash site early Thursday morning. Tuesday's crash claimed the lives of Fred Wallis of Lavina and Scott Shimamoto of Billings.
Investigators have identified all of the pieces of the plane's wreckage and are now processing the pilot's records.
There's no word yet when the wreckage will be removed from the crash site.
(from October 15, 2009)
The investigation into what caused a fatal plane crash near Fort Smith got underway Thursday.
The National Transportation Safety Board arrived at the crash site early Thursday morning.
NTSB Spokesperson Kristy Dunks tells Q2 the on-scene portion of the investigation is complete. Tuesday's crash claimed the lives of Fred Wallis of Lavina and Scott Shimamoto of Billings.
Investigators were able to identify all of the plane's wreckage and are now processing the pilot's records. There's no word yet when the wreckage will be removed.
The NTSB plans to release a preliminary report on the crash as early as next week.
The investigation into a plane crash that killed two men outside of Billings has begun as the National Transportation Safety Board arrived on the scene Thursday.
Wednesday, search and rescue crews found the wreckage of the small plane that crashed Tuesday while on a flight from Sheridan to Laurel.
The Cessna 182, which is registered to Fred Wallis of Lavina, went down in a steep ridge near Fort Smith, Montana. Wallis, who was piloting the aircraft, and passenger Scott Shimamoto of Billings were both killed in the crash.
The plane took off from Sheridan, Wyoming at about 11:00 Tuesday morning en route to Laurel, but never arrived. Wallis and Shimamoto were doing construction on a home in Sheridan.
The National Transportation Safety Board reports that an investigative team will be at the crash site on Thursday and that the agency expects to release a preliminary report on the crash next week.
Meanwhile the victims are being remembered by those who worked with them.
Dan Wells, who is the owner of Wells Built Homes, worked with Shimamoto and Wallis. Shimamoto was Wells Built's office manager, and the company subcontracted out to Wallis for plumbing work. Wallis also was a rancher in the Lavina Area.
Wells says Shimamoto was a great family man and that his family was his hobby and passion. He leaves behind a wife and six children. Wells added that Wallis was a great guy and a family man who had his kids working with him.
Wells told us the deaths are, "A real loss to our building community. They were respected by everybody. Friendly, true to their word, good men."
Shimamoto was a 1993 graduate of Skyview High School and received a degree in construction management from Brigham Young University. He also went to Hong Kong as part of a mission for the Mormon Church in 1997.
(from October 14, 2009)
Yellowstone County officials say that two men are presumed dead after their small plane crashed about 25 miles southeast of Billings.
Yellowstone County Undersheriff Seth Weston tells us the aircraft's wreckage has been located in a remote area near Fort Smith and that there was no sign of survivors.
The Cessna 182 plane took off from Sheridan, Wyoming at about 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, and was headed to Laurel, but never arrived.
We're told the male pilot and the male passenger were doing construction on a home in Sheridan.
Billings Flying Service, Northern Skies Aviation, the Big Horn County Sheriff's Office and the Yellowstone County Sheriff's Office all assisted in the search.
Authorities are not releasing the names of the two men aboard the plane, but we do know that the aircraft is registered to Fred Wallis of Lavina.
