On April 6, 1999, an Aviat A-1 (registration N345HU) was involved in an aviation accident near Emmett, ID. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during a low-altitude maneuver to view a coyote on the ground. A related factor was the pilot's low altitude. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
An aircraft experienced a high rate of descent and ground impact after the pilot executed a 270-degree turn to view a coyote. No mechanical malfunction was found, and weather was benign.
Flight Sequence
Approach control radar tracked the aircraft descending to an altitude of 300 feet above ground level or less before radar contact was lost. One of the aircraft occupants spotted a coyote while the aircraft was being flown at low altitude. The pilot reported that he then initiated a 270-degree turn to get a better view of the coyote. As the aircraft rolled out of the turn, it experienced a high rate of descent, which the pilot was unable to arrest with addition of power and raising the nose.
Witness Accounts
The passenger reported that as soon as the coyote was called out, the pilot immediately rolled into a steep turn, and the next thing the passenger remembered was ground impact.
Mechanical Inspection
The pilot stated that no mechanical malfunction was involved. Federal Aviation Administration inspectors found no evidence of mechanical problems in the wreckage.
Weather
Weather reports and forecasts for the area disclosed no indications of high winds or turbulence during the time frame of the accident flight.