One Person Survived
It was a grim task for Mark Duffy of Central Helicopters, as he
ferried three bodies from the site of a Cirrus SR-22 (file photo of
type, below) crash about a mile from the top of Montana's Sacajawea
Peak near Bozeman on Sunday. The aircraft impacted the side of the
mountain the day before while on what friends described as a
recreational sightseeing trip. One person survived the
accident.
The victims were identified as:
- Pilot Brandon J. Speth, 30, of Bozeman , MT
- Jim Bastiani, 63, of Bozeman, a retired Delta Air Lines
pilot
- Clifford Lincoln, 62, of Belgrade, MT
A fourth man, 23-year old Don Olsen, walked through the snow for
about three-quarters of a mile before he was rescued.
"They were sight-seeing over the (Gallatin) valley Saturday
afternoon," friend Pat Martin, who was answering the phone at
Bastiani's home. "The three people who died in this flight were all
overflowing with joy about flight. Their enthusiasm spilled over to
everyone else."
Duffy, the helicopter pilot who ferried the bodies from the
mountain, had spotted the wreckage the day before. He was leading
an SAR helo at the time and aided in spotting and rescuing Olsen,
who's now in critical but stable condition at a Bozeman
hospital.
The weather at the time of the accident was described as "not
too bad" by NWS meteorologist Jim Brusda in Great Falls. "We were
reporting clear skies below 12,000 feet, and scattered clouds at
12,000 feet. Winds were clocked by an automated weather station on
the mountain at 10-20 miles an hour.
Update: Information from the message boards at
the Cirrus Owner's and Pilot's
Association indicates that this aircraft may have been
involved in an air-to-air photo session with a motor-glider, along
the ridge, just prior to impact. We'll have more information as/if
it becomes available.
FAA Preliminary Accident Report
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 1159C
Make/Model: SR22 Description:
SR-22
Date: 12/04/2004 Time: 2334
Event Type: Accident Highest Injury:
Fatal Mid Air: N Missing:
N
Damage: Destroyed
LOCATION
City:
BELGRADE
State: MT Country: US
DESCRIPTION
ACFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES. N5195H SEARCHED
FOR ACFT AND
REPORTED CRASH SITE. HELICOPTER CONFIRMED CRASH SITE. 3 POB
SUFFERED FATAL
INJURIES AND ONE POB WAS TAKEN TO HOSPITAL. ACFT IS REPORTED
DESTROYED.
11.7 MI NORTH OF BELGRADE, MT
INJURY DATA Total
Fatal: 3
# Crew: 1 Fat:
1 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk:
# Pass: 3 Fat:
2 Ser:
1 Min:
0 Unk:
# Grnd:
Fat: 0 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk:
WEATHER: 2355Z 21003KT 10SM BKN 120 01/M05
A2967
OTHER DATA
Activity: Unknown Phase:
Unknown Operation: General
Aviation
Departed: BOZEMAN,
MT
Dep Date: 12/04/2004 Dep. Time: 2218
Destination:
UNKN
Flt Plan: UNK
Wx Briefing: U
Last Radio Cont: 220 5 MI N BZN
Last Clearance: TAKE OFF CLR
FAA FSDO: HELENA, MT
(NM05)
Entry date: 12/06/2004