LINCOLN — The National Transportation Safety Board has released its preliminary investigation report on the deadly crash of a small airplane near Lincoln on October 24, 2025.
The report confirmed that only one person, the pilot, was aboard the aircraft and died in the crash. The pilot had previously been identified by his family as Dan Arrotta of Spokane, Washington.
Arrotta was flying from Spokane to Lincoln to meet family for a hunting trip. The NTSB report noted he was experienced with the aircraft but had never flown into the Lincoln airport.
The crash marked the most recent in a string of deadly aviation crashes in Montana:
The plane — a Cirrus SR22T —arrived in Lincoln around 9:12 p.m., and runway lights had been activated. The report states Arrotta used Highway 200 to determine his location. The plane turned north near the airport’s beacon light and began to descend.
At 9:14 p.m., the Terrain Awareness Warning System activated. The plane began to climb five seconds later and then made a steep left bank. At that point, the stall warning activated. The aircraft then descended rapidly toward what would become the crash site.
The crash site was about a half-mile from the landing strip, and the debris field was scattered over a 275-foot area. A fire ignited immediately after the crash.
Read the full report:
