The NTSB has released a preliminary report on the fatal small crash at Ryan Field, about 1 mile southeast of West Glacier. In that crash, the pilot and a passenger died.
A witness tells the NTSB the plane’s engines didn’t run-up and that the plane’s flaps were retracted. That’s not a usual procedure for a short and soft field take-off. Ryan Field is a grass runway.
We’re being told the craft, a Grumman AA-5, became slightly airborne at the end of the runway, hitting the trees. It then crashed into the ground bursting into flames.
Ryan Field, about a mile southeast of West Glacier, is a backcountry airstrip, complete with camping facilities, including cabins and restrooms. Many fly into Ryan Field to access trails in the immediate vicinity.
