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

FMI: www.ntsb.gov