Aviat HUSKY A1-B N246AM

Summary

On 3 June 2007 at about 16:45 local time, a Aviat HUSKY A1-B registered N246AM, operated by Jon C Kantorowicz, was involved in an accident near Winston, Montana, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

3 June 2007 at 16:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Winston, Montana, United States

Nearest airport

Townsend (8U8)

Coordinates

46.4000, -111.7500

Aircraft

Aviat HUSKY A1-B

Registration

N246AM

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Jon C Kantorowicz

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Townsend → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX07CA187

2 people were seriously injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed while maneuvering at low altitude in a canyon that led to a stall. The pilot's decision to fly along the canyon wall at a low altitude and low energy state was a factor.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane stalled and impacted terrain during flight in a canyon at low altitude and a slow airspeed. The pilot was participating in a mountain flying seminar and was flying with a CFI. The purpose of the flight was instructional in nature intending to practice short canyon turns. They flew the first canyon at 300 feet agl, 70 mph, 20 degrees of flaps, along the south side of the canyon, and rode a few thermals. Identifying areas where thermal lift could be found was part of the instructional flight. He then crossed into another canyon that was full of burned out terrain and dead fall trees. This canyon he flew at 300 to 350 feet agl, 60 to 65 mph, and full flaps. The pilot angled his plane towards a rock cliff expecting to pickup thermal lift from the warm rocks. He flew with the wing tip about 10 feet from the cliff. The climb stopped, the airspeed fell off, and the wing stalled. He turned left, applied full throttle, and lowered the nose of the airplane. The descent was rapid as he tried to direct the airplane between deadfall trees into a drainage gully. The airplane's descent continued and he tried to land the airplane as gently as he could. After the collision with the sloped terrain, both pilots egressed the airplane just before it was engulfed in flames. The pilot stated that the airplane and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.