Casualties unknown

Aircraft Strikes Unoccupied House and Tree After Low Pass Over Fishing Pond (N3770P)

Encampment, WY, US

On September 24, 1983, a Piper PA-18-150 (registration N3770P) was involved in an aviation accident near Encampment, WY. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.

Sourcesthe U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archivePrimary reportUpdated 2026-06-10Data APIEditorial standards

A low pass over a fishing pond led to a stall and crash into a house and tree. The front seat pilot was waving at his father when the aircraft banked steeply and stalled during a sharp pull-up.

Incident Overview

According to the pilot's father, who witnessed the event, an aircraft executed a low pass over a fishing pond so that the front seat pilot could wave at him. The pass was reportedly below the level of the tree tops. In an attempt to pull up sharply to avoid trees, the aircraft was banked steeply and subsequently stalled. The aircraft then struck an unoccupied house before crashing into a tree.

Pilot Information

The front seat pilot is presumed to have been at the controls at the time of the accident. He had accumulated about 2,200 hours of total flight time and a "considerable amount of time" in a PA-18-150, as he was a former Alaska bush pilot. The rear seat pilot was the owner-operator of the aircraft.

Aircraft and Damage

The accident involved a PA-18-150. Following the stall, the aircraft hit an unoccupied house and then a tree, resulting in substantial damage. No further details about the aircraft or the extent of damage are available from the source.

Investigation report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive. Original record: https://carol.ntsb.gov/event/20001214X44500. This page is a structured re-presentation; facts and quotes are in the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), United States.