What happened
The flight was being conducted for the purpose of shooting coyotes as part of the South Dakota wildlife management program. While flying at an altitude of 125 feet above ground level (agl), the pilot initiated a descending left turn to allow a passenger to take a shot at a coyote.
As the aircraft reached approximately 40 feet agl, the pilot attempted to level the airplane but found that the control stick was jammed. The aircraft remained in a nose-low, left bank attitude. In an attempt to manage the descent, the pilot applied rudder and reduced power before the aircraft struck the ground. Upon impact, the airplane slid sideways across the terrain and struck a badger hole. This contact caused the landing gear to collapse and resulted in the left wing making contact with the ground.
The investigation
An inspection of the aircraft was performed following the accident. Investigators discovered that a 12 gauge shotgun shell had become lodged in the aft control stick, which prevented the pilot from moving the controls to recover the aircraft.