Aviat A-1B N307F

Summary

On 24 June 2023 at about 15:00 local time, a Aviat A-1B registered N307F was involved in an accident near Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. 2 people were on board. The aircraft was slightly damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

24 June 2023 at 15:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Coordinates

35.7874, -115.2612

Aircraft

Aviat A-1B

Registration

N307F

Category

Airplane

Year built

2007

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

North Las Vegas → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Minor

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR23LA259

Injuries not recorded.

The pilot’s unsafe inflight operation of the airplane and failure to maintain clearance from a person on the ground, which resulted in a serious injury.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of the tailwheel equipped airplane reported that he intended to land on a dry lakebed behind a model that was being photographed and create a ‘wall of dust’ using the airplane for a photograph. During the landing roll, the pilot stated he was moving too fast to stop before reaching the model and elected to execute a go-around. He then returned to the lakebed and landed, where he saw that the model had been seriously injured. According to the photographer, he and his model had been approached by the pilot, who offered his airplane as a backdrop for the photo shoot. After taking several photographs near the airplane, the pilot offered to overfly the model for additional photographs. The pilot flew over the model twice, and on the third flyover, the airplane was lower than the previous passes and the airplane’s left wing struck the model in the back of the head. Following the accident, the photographer obtained images from other photographers of the pilot performing similar maneuvers over other models at low altitude. Title 14 of the Combined Federal Regulations, § 91.119 Minimum safe altitudes: General, states: “Except when necessary for takeoff or landing, no person may operate an aircraft below the following altitudes: (c) An altitude of 500 feet above the surface, except over open water or sparsely populated areas. In those cases, the aircraft may not be operated closer than 500 feet to any person, vessel, vehicle, or structure.” The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.