CubCrafters PA18 N444GB

Summary

On 7 December 2016 at about 17:15 local time, a CubCrafters PA18 registered N444GB, operated by US Department of Agriculture, was involved in an accident near Basin, Wyoming, United States. 2 people were on board and one died, one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

7 December 2016 at 17:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Basin, Wyoming, United States

Coordinates

44.3219, -108.3364

Aircraft

CubCrafters PA18

Registration

N444GB

Category

Airplane

Year built

2004

Engines

1

Operator

US Department of Agriculture

Operating rule

Public Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Worland → Worland

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN17FA050

1 person died.

The pilot exceeded the airplane's critical angle of attack while maneuvering at low altitude, which resulted in an inadvertent aerodynamic stall and subsequent impact with terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

 The commercial-rated pilot and commercial pilot-rated crewmember were working with a ground crew in animal damage management. These flights typically begin with the surveillance, about 75 to 100 ft agl. Upon identifying a target, the airplane will descend to between 20 and 40 ft agl so that the crewmember can shoot the target. The ground crew lost contact with the airplane about 2 hours into the operation. The airplane wreckage was later located in steep, hilly terrain. Based upon the location of the wreckage and witness statements from the ground crew, it is likely that the airplane was conducting a low-altitude predator mitigation pass at the time of the accident. Damage to the airplane, witness marks at the accident site, and the position of the wreckage were consistent with the airplane impacting terrain in a nose-low attitude, consistent with an aerodynamic stall and subsequent impact with terrain. An examination of the airframe, engine, and related systems revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operations. It is likely that, while maneuvering at a slow speed, the pilot exceeded the airplane's critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall at an altitude too low for recovery.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.