The pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance/altitude while maneuvering resulting in the inadvertent in-flight collision with water/terrain.
— NTSB Determination
The pilot reported that he and his wife were sightseeing along the Yellowstone River just south of Laurel, Montana, when he spotted what he described as unusual animal tracks on a gravel sand bar adjacent to the river. He applied one notch of flaps and executed a 180 degree course reversal for a "low and slow look." The aircraft subsequently struck the water and nosed over. The pilot reported that there was no mechanical malfunction or failure with the aircraft or its powerplant/systems.
The pilot reported that he and his wife were sightseeing along the Yellowstone River just south of Laurel, Montana, when he spotted what he described as unusual animal tracks on a gravel sand bar adjacent to the river. He applied one notch of flaps and executed a 180 degree course reversal for a "low and slow look."…
The accident on 2004-05-01 involved a Piper PA-18-105, registration N5483H, at Laurel, MT.
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance/altitude while maneuvering resulting in the inadvertent in-flight collision with water/terrain.
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