| Crash location | 48.079723°N, 113.244444°W
Reported location is a long distance from the NTSB's reported nearest city. This often means that the location has a typo, or is incorrect. |
| Nearest city | Kalispell, MT
48.195793°N, 114.312908°W 49.9 miles away |
| Tail number | N30550 |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 31 Jul 2016 |
| Aircraft type | Cessna 177 |
| Additional details: | None |
The pilot reported that during takeoff from a mountain airstrip, and climbing just above the trees lining the runway, the airplane encountered an "extreme wind shear and an enormous downdraft". The pilot further reported the airplane began to descend at 1500-2000 feet per minute and he decided to land on the remaining runway. Subsequently the airplane touched down hard, bounced, and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, fuselage, and empennage.
The pilot reported that there were no pre impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
The airplane's hard landing during an aborted takeoff, following an encounter with a downdraft during takeoff initial climb from a remote mountain airstrip, resulting in an uncontrolled descent, attempt to land on the runway remaining, and subsequent nose over.