Led Development Work On Microsoft Office Software

A former Microsoft executive and his pilot were killed Saturday afternoon, when the Pilatus PC-12 they were flying crashed shortly after takeoff from the airport in Big Timber, MT.

Investigators with the NTSB say they don't know who was operating as PIC of the aircraft... but they believe Jeffrey M. Harbers was receiving flight instruction from 31-year-old pilot Jason Barton when the single-engine plane came out of the sky.

Investigators aren't yet sure what brought the plane down.

Harbers, 54, led engineering and development work on Microsoft's Office software program during the 1980s, according to friend and former Microsoft co-worker Jeff Raikes. He also served as director of Microsoft applications development, before leaving the company in the early 90s to devote his time to environmental causes.

The FAA's online registry database showed the accident plane was registered to Harbers' venture capital firm, JMH Capital LLC in Medina, WA. Harbers maintained a home in the upscale Seattle suburb, as well as a ranch near Big Timber.

**   Report created 6/26/2006   Record 3
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IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 768H        Make/Model: PC12      Description: PC-12, Eagle
  Date: 06/24/2006     Time: 2030

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Fatal     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Destroyed

LOCATION
  City: BIG TIMBER   State: MT   Country: US

DESCRIPTION
  ACFT AFTER DEPARTURE, CRASHED 5 MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE AIRPORT, THE TWO
  PERSONS ON BOARD WERE FATALLY INJURED, BIG TIMBER, MT

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   2
                 # Crew:   2     Fat:   2     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Pass:   0     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: METAR KLVM 241953Z AUTO 06017G23KT 10SM CLR 23/06 A3041

OTHER DATA

  Departed: BIG TIMBER, MT              Dep Date:    Dep. Time:     
  Destination:                          Flt Plan:              Wx Briefing: 
  Last Radio Cont: 
  Last Clearance: 

  FAA FSDO: HELENA, MT  (NM05)                    Entry date: 06/26/2006

FMI: www.microsoft.com, www.faa.gov