Seeley lake, MT, USA
N3135D
CESSNA 180
On September 3, 2022, about 1500 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 180, N3135D was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Seeley Lake, Montana. The pilot and passenger were seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported that after refueling the airplane, he had departed from Vance Brand Airport (LMO), Longmont, Colorado, and flew direct to Seeley Lake Airport (S23), Seeley Lake, Montana, at a cruise altitude between 10,500 and 12,500 ft mean sea level (msl). The pilot stated that during cruise flight, he leaned the mixture, to a fuel burn between 9.5 and 10 gallons an hour. During the descent to the airport traffic pattern, he enrichened the mixture along with the application of carburetor heat. The pilot conducted a low approach over runway 16, with a medium power setting to inspect the runway for wildlife. As the pilot initiated a climb and turned onto the left crosswind leg, the engine lost all power and he initiated a forced landing to a nearby clearing. Subsequently, the airplane impacted trees and came to rest in a nose low attitude. Postaccident examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that both wings and fuselage were substantially damaged. The wreckage was recovered to a secure location for further examination.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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