Billings - Miles City

On January 4, 1996 at 07:45 AM, Billings - Miles City experienced a crash involving Beechcraft 100 King Air, operated by West Star Aviation, with the event recorded near Miles City Montana.

The flight was categorized as charter/taxi (non scheduled revenue flight) and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a airport (less than 10 km from airport) crash site.

5 people were known to be on board, 0 fatalities were recorded, 5 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 0.0%.

Crew on board: 2, crew fatalities: 0, passengers on board: 3, passenger fatalities: 0, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is other causes. The pilots obtained a complete weather briefing for their IFR flight. Before landing at their destination, they attempted to obtain an airport advisory on Unicom, but received no response. They landed on the runway in low visibility with the runway lights visible. After touchdown, the left main landing gear contacted a berm or snowbank on the left side of the plowed area, and the pilots were unable to maintain directional control. The aircraft drifted off the left side of the runway and came to rest on a reverse heading. The runway, which was 100 feet in width, had been plowed to about 45.5 feet width along the centerline. No notams had been filed concerning the partially plowed condition of the runway. The second officer (commercial pilot) noted that during the weather briefing, the pilot-in-command had been advised of thin, loose snow on the runway.

Aircraft reference details include registration N924WS, MSN BE-63, year of manufacture 1978.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 46.4070°, -105.8478°.