Low-Altitude Maneuvering · NTSB CEN12FA158
PIPER PA-28-180 — Osborn, MO
| Date | February 14, 2012 |
| Location | Osborn, MO |
| Aircraft | PIPER PA-28-180 |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Maneuvering-low-alt flying Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) |
| Pilot age | 68 |
| Pilot total time | 5,798 hrs · High time |
| Time in type | Unknown |
| Fatalities | 2 |
Probable cause
The pilot’s decision to conduct low-level passes above a residence and his failure to maintain sufficient altitude.
NTSB findings
- Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Pilot - C
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Altitude-Not attained/maintained - C
- Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Tree(s)-Effect on equipment
What happened
The airplane was observed making two low-level (just above tree level) passes in front of a witness’s house. The witness made a video recording of the first pass. She reported seeing and hearing the airplane strike trees on the second pass before impacting the ground. An on-scene examination revealed airplane and tree damage consistent with the witness’s description of events. Examination of the airplane’s wreckage revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.