Aviat A-1B N178WW

Summary

On 6 November 2010 at about 18:30 local time, a Aviat A-1B registered N178WW, operated by Stern Lessing S, was involved in an accident near Heber City, Utah, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

6 November 2010 at 18:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Heber City, Utah, United States

Coordinates

40.3342, -111.2978

Aircraft

Aviat A-1B

Registration

N178WW

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Stern Lessing S

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Heber City → Heber City

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR11CA041

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the ground during low-level maneuvering in mountainous/hilly terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he was practicing the procedures for making approaches to back-country remote airstrips and was flying in approach configuration about 40 to 60 feet over a mountain ridge. Although the wind was light and variable, just as the airplane was crossing the ridge it encountered a downdraft, which resulted in a sudden loss of altitude. Before the pilot was able to correct the descent, one of the airplane's main landing gear tires came in contact with the snow-covered terrain, which resulted in the airplane slowing down and flipping over onto its back. The accident sequence resulted in damage to the top of the rudder and to one of the wing lift struts. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane at the time of the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.