Accident Overview
On October 2, 2022, at about 0900 central daylight time, a Scoda Aeronautica LTDA Super Petrel LS, registration N892SP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Perma, Montana. The pilot sustained serious injuries and later died. The flight was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
Flight Sequence
According to the trailing pilot, he and the accident pilot departed Polson Airport, Polson, Montana, about 0800 as a flight of two on an impromptu low-level flight over a river. About an hour later, while trailing the accident airplane and flying westbound about 50 feet above the river, the trailing pilot saw the lead airplane abruptly pitch up, descend to the right, and impact the water. A still image from a video captured by the trailing pilot showed that the accident airplane was about the height of the powerline poles shortly before the pitch-up.
Witness Accounts and Powerline Information
A witness who responded to the accident site reported that the pilot told him he had flown over the river near the accident area before but forgot about the powerline during the accident flight. According to the power company, the “H” configured two-pole structure on the north side of the river was about 50 feet above ground level (AGL), and the structure on the south side was about 55 feet AGL, with a lineal span of 1,026 feet. The distribution powerline spanned above the water between 40 and 80 feet AGL and was not marked at the time of the accident.
Wreckage and Damage
The airplane came to rest upright on a gravel bar that was about 4 feet below the water level, about 540 feet southwest of the northern power pole structure. The engine and cabin were submerged, with the wings and aft fuselage above water. The tailcone was partially separated midspan; the empennage was inverted and partially submerged. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings.
Mechanical and Medical Findings
The trailing pilot stated that the accident pilot did not report any mechanical anomalies during the flight. A review of the video was consistent with normal engine and airplane operation. An autopsy performed by the Sanders County Medical Examiner & Coroner’s Office reported the pilot's cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries. The autopsy identified moderate-to-severe and severe aortic atherosclerosis, with no other significant natural disease. Toxicological testing by the FAA Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory was negative for performance-impairing drugs or alcohol.