Havre, MontanaHavre Aviation Accident
Havre Aviation Accident Lawyers: Small Plane Crashes, Crop-Spraying Accidents and Air Ambulance Claims on the Hi-Line
Boland Aarab PLLP.
Aviation around Havre is small-scale but essential. Havre City–County Airport has scheduled Cape Air flights to Billings. Agricultural aircraft spray fields across the Hi-Line, and patients are flown out of Havre for care the local hospital can’t provide. After a crash, the NTSB investigates, but it does not represent the injured or their families. Most Montana claims must be filed within 3 years, and some deadlines are shorter.
Hurt in an aircraft accident near Havre, or lost someone in a crash? Contact Boland Aarab PLLP for a free consultation at (406) 315-3737.
What aviation activity is there around Havre?
Havre City–County Airport (HVR). The airport is about 3 miles west of town and is owned jointly by the City of Havre and Hill County. It has two paved runways: 8/26, at 5,205 feet, and 3/21, at 3,699 feet. About 29 aircraft are based there, most of them single-engine planes (airport data via Wikipedia).
Cape Air. Cape Air flies between Havre and Billings Logan International under the federal Essential Air Service program. The U.S. Department of Transportation re-selected Cape Air for a contract running January 1, 2024, through December 31, 2027 (Cape Air). A passenger hurt on a commuter flight has claims against the airline, and the airline’s duties to passengers are high.
Agricultural aviation. Across the Hi-Line’s wheat and pulse fields, pilots fly low and fast. They work near power lines, grain bins, shelterbelts and wind-driven weather. Crashes during spraying can involve the operator, the aircraft or engine maker, the maintenance shop, and sometimes the owner of a power line that was not marked. People on the ground can also be hurt by chemical drift or by a crash.
Medical transport. Northern Montana Hospital in Havre is not a designated trauma facility on the state’s November 2025 list (DPHHS). Critically injured and critically ill patients are often moved to Benefis in Great Falls, which is an ACS Level 2 center, or to Billings, where both hospitals are ACS Level 1. Air ambulance flights are made at night, in winter, and into short or rural strips, and the patients on board are already vulnerable.
Private flying. Hunters, ranchers and business travelers fly small aircraft across a region with long distances between airports, few instrument approaches, and fast-changing prairie weather.
What happens after an aviation accident near Havre?
The investigation. The NTSB investigates civil aviation accidents. It is a fact-finding process with no adverse parties (49 C.F.R. § 831.4). Injured people and families are not parties to it, and the aircraft owner, the manufacturer and their insurers are often involved much earlier. The FAA also investigates. Local responders, such as the Hill County Sheriff’s Office for a rural crash site, secure the scene.
Preserving the wreckage. After the NTSB releases the wreckage, it is usually taken by the owner’s insurer. We move early to preserve the wreckage, the engine and the maintenance logs, and to arrange our own examination with qualified experts.
Courts. A Hill County case can be filed in the Twelfth Judicial District Court at the Hill County Courthouse in Havre (§ 3-5-101, MCA). Aviation defendants are often out-of-state manufacturers and operators, so many cases end up in the Great Falls Division of the U.S. District Court, which covers Hill County (D. Mont. L.R. 1.2(c)(3)). A claim against the United States, for example over air traffic services, must be presented to the agency within 2 years (28 U.S.C. § 2401(b)).
Montana law that applies
See our Montana aviation accident lawyer page for detail. The key points:
- No part of an NTSB Board accident report may be admitted in a civil damages case (49 U.S.C. § 1154(b)). Factual reports are treated differently (49 C.F.R. § 835.2).
- The General Aviation Revitalization Act generally bars suits against general aviation manufacturers 18 years after delivery, with important exceptions. Many crop-spraying and private aircraft are old enough for GARA to matter.
- Montana allows 3 years for most injury and wrongful-death claims (§ 27-2-204, MCA).
- Fault is compared under § 27-1-702, MCA. A defective product may support strict liability (§ 27-1-719, MCA).
Why hire a Great Falls firm for a Havre case?
Aviation cases are usually won with documents, experts and federal procedure, not with a local address. Our office is in Great Falls, which is also where the federal court for the Hi-Line sits. We handle cases statewide, and we travel to Havre and to crash sites when the case requires it. We do not have an office in Havre.
The Boland Aarab Way
- We know federal court. Our attorneys have handled more than 40 cases in the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana over nine years, and Samir Aarab has argued twice before the Ninth Circuit.
- We have courtroom experience. Our attorneys have spent more than 4,000 hours in the courtroom.
- We appeal when we need to. The Montana Supreme Court reinstated a Phillips County jury’s verdict on our appeal (Voegel v. Salsbery, 2023 MT 137).
- We belong to the trial bar. Both attorneys are AAJ and MTLA members.
Related Havre pages: wrongful death · burn injuries · all Havre and Hill County injury cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who investigates a plane crash near Havre? The NTSB leads the investigation, and the FAA also investigates. Local law enforcement secures the scene. None of them represents the injured person or the family.
I was hurt on a Cape Air flight to or from Havre. What are my rights? Airlines owe their passengers a high duty of care. A claim may be heard in state or federal court, depending on the parties. Keep your boarding pass and your medical records, and tell us what happened on the flight.
A crop-spraying plane crashed near our farm. Who could be responsible? Possibly the operator or pilot, the maintenance provider, the manufacturers of the aircraft or its parts, or the owner of an unmarked power line. Each has different defenses, including GARA for older aircraft.
Can I use the NTSB report in my case? The NTSB’s own probable-cause report cannot be used in a civil damages case. Its factual reports are treated differently. Most cases depend on independent expert work.
What if the crash was an air ambulance flight from Havre? The operator’s pilot, maintenance and dispatch decisions are all examined. Federal law can affect which claims are available, so these cases should be reviewed early.
Contact Boland Aarab PLLP for a free consultation at (406) 315-3737.
Our attorneys: Caitlin Boland Aarab · Samir F. Aarab
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship.
