Low-Altitude Maneuvering · NTSB WPR11FA390
PIPER PA-18-150 — Forsyth, MT
| Date | August 18, 2011 |
| Location | Forsyth, MT |
| Aircraft | PIPER PA-18-150 |
| Purpose of flight | Aerial Observation |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Maneuvering Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) |
| Pilot age | 39 |
| Pilot total time | 3,000 hrs · High time |
| Time in type | 500 hrs |
| Fatalities | 2 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Airspeed-Not attained/maintained - C
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Angle of attack-Not attained/maintained - C
- Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
- Environmental issues-Physical environment-Terrain-(general)-Not specified
What happened
The operator reported that the pilot and passenger were going to survey a prairie dog town and take pictures. Hunters in the accident area observed the airplane fly overhead and descend below mountainous terrain while in a turn. The airplane crashed in an open field. The airplane damage and the ground scars at the accident site were consistent with the airplane being in a stalled condition at the time of the accident. The pilot likely failed to maintain adequate airspeed as he was increasing the bank angle to maintain visual reference to the ground, which resulted in a stall/mush, loss of control, and collision with terrain. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of a mechanical failure or malfunction that would have precluded normal operation.