N45254 is a 1941 Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3 (fixed wing single engine) with serial number 2601, registered in Columbus, MT. Its FAA registration is valid and runs until Sep 30, 2027; the renewal window opens on Mar 30, 2027. It is powered by an Ama/Expr UNKNOWN ENG. Its airworthiness certificate is in the standard class, issued Mar 31, 1982. It is one of 145 N3N-3 aircraft in the FAA registry, 2 of them registered in Montana. About 13% of them were built after it. The NTSB accident database lists one record for this airframe since 2008, the latest on Aug 31, 2025.
Registration
- FAA status
- Valid registration
- Expires
- Sep 30, 2027
- Registrant type
- Co-owned
- Registered owner
- Individual owner, name not shown
- Location
- Columbus, MT
- Local FAA office (FSDO)
- Helena FSDO (HLN FSDO) · (406) 441-5240
- Certificate issued
- May 21, 1999
- Last FAA action
- Mar 17, 2023
- Mode S code (hex)
- A57CAE
- Mode S code (octal)
- 51276256
- Official record
- registry.faa.gov
Aircraft
- Manufacturer
- NAVAL AIRCRAFT FACTORY
- Model
- N3N-3
- Type certificate (TCDS)
- A-2-569 (Naval Aircraft Factory)
- Year manufactured
- 1941
- Serial number
- 2601
- Aircraft type
- Fixed wing single engine
- Engine type
- Reciprocating
- Engine
- AMA/EXPR UNKNOWN ENG
- Engines / seats
- 1 / 2
- Weight class
- Up to 12,499 lb
- Airworthiness
- Standard since Mar 31, 1982
Public airports near Columbus
| Airport | ID | Distance | Tower | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Woltermann Memorial Columbus, MT | 6S3 | <1 mi | Non-towered | 100LL |
| Laurel Municipal Laurel, MT | 6S8 | 24 mi | Non-towered | 100LL, A |
| Bridger Municipal Bridger, MT | 6S1 | 28 mi | Non-towered | - |
Straight-line distance from the registration city, from the FAA airport directory (NASR). The registry does not say where an aircraft is based.
NTSB accident and incident records
| Date | Place | Aircraft (as NTSB recorded it) | Damage | Highest injury | NTSB no. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 31, 2025 | Red Lodge, MT | Naval Aircraft Factory N3N-3 this airframe | Substantial | Minor | WPR25LA271 |
From the NTSB aviation accident database (events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026), matched by N-number. An N-number can move between aircraft, so each row is checked against the serial number on the current registration.