On November 5, 1992, a Piper PA-18-150 (registration N6798A) operated by B&t Cattle Co. was involved in an aviation accident near Uvalde, TX. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Loss of control due to low-level maneuvering during cattle herding, resulting in a tree strike and wing separation. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A pilot attempting to herd cattle by diving toward them lost control of the aircraft after the left wing struck a tree, resulting in an uncontrolled descent and post-crash fire.
What happened
Witnesses observed the pilot engaging in low-level aerial maneuvers intended to move livestock. The individuals on horseback noted that the cattle were more easily spotted from the airplane than from their vantage points. According to witness accounts, the pilot would dive the aircraft toward the herd and then pull up sharply. During one such maneuver, witnesses reported seeing the airplane dive before its left wing struck a tree. The impact caused the left wing to separate from the fuselage. Following this structural failure, the aircraft descended in an uncontrolled manner to the ground. A fire erupted after the crash.
The investigation
The available source material does not provide specific details regarding mechanical examination or forensic findings beyond the witness observations of the wing separation and subsequent fire.
Probable cause
Loss of control due to low-level maneuvering during cattle herding, resulting in a tree strike and wing separation.
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