A pilot operating a Vans RV7A aircraft was confirmed dead Tuesday afternoon after his aircraft was found upside down near the end of the runway at Ryan Field, roughly a mile south of West Glacier, Montana.
Flathead County Sheriff Brian Heino told local reporters that emergency calls for the crash came in around 3 p.m. on August 12. Multiple fire departments, the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office, Coroner’s Office, and Office of Emergency Services all reported to the crash site.
The pilot was the only person found on the aircraft at the time of the crash and the NTSB is investigating the cause.
The accident comes one day after a fiery runway collision in Kalispell, Montana, caused multiple aircraft to catch fire. The incident took place at Klaispell City Airport, just 37 miles away from Ryan Field, involving a Socata TBM 700 turboprop that crash-landed at the end of the runway before striking an unoccupied aircraft.
All three passengers and the pilot were able to safely escape the aircraft before fire and smoke swallowed up a large stretch of the airstrip. Two of the passengers sustained minor injuries and were treated at the airport.
These incidents make up a string of three separate accidents that have happened within the state of Montana during the last month. On July 26, again, a crash at Ryan Field involving two travelers from Washington resulted in the death of both men.
Similar to the most recent crash, the incident took place just as the aircraft was taking off near the end of the runway.
Density altitude is a real issue in the mountains. The temperature in Glacier National Park on July 26th reached 84F at noon. The emergency call was at 3:00 pm. Ryan Field’s elevation is 3660 MSL. Density altitude would have been over 6,000 MSL. That’s why most mountain flying is done in the morning when temperatures are cooler and there’s less wind. The crash site was at the end of the runway so it’s possible that the pilot attempted to climb to clear trees and stalled but we’ll see what the NTSB says.
About the only thing an RV7 and a TbM 700 have in common is the number “7” and a low wing design…
Condolences to the families affected by these events.
Slow news day?
Coincidences happen, probabilities do not exclude that.
My previous comment was silently removed.
Probably best to just consume. Criticism is not welcome.
Hot and high, I’ve seen that at Calgary AB, calculating performance of B737-200C with JT8D-9 engines.
But Denver CO is higher, and Mexico City even higher.
Story from decades ago:
Pilot of a large business jet glanced sideways during takeoff roll at MEX, noticed how fast the scenery was moving, and remarked later about possibility of stopping from 200 knots. (I presume the crew had calculated performance.)
Hmmm - no reason given?
No education attempted? (Education from sysop’s view.