Aviat A1 N137C

Summary

On 17 July 2019 at about 14:28 local time, a Aviat A1 registered N137C was involved in an accident near Ennis, Montana, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

17 July 2019 at 14:28

Classification

Accident

Location

Ennis, Montana, United States

Coordinates

45.3441, -111.7274

Aircraft

Aviat A1

Registration

N137C

Category

Airplane

Year built

1999

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bozeman → Bozeman

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA19CA432

2 people had minor injuries.

The pilot's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack while turning at low altitude, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's distraction due to looking at wildlife.  

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 conducting an aerial survey to spot bears. After spotting bears, he flew multiple low-altitude passes to maintain sight of the bears. While maneuvering uphill at a low altitude, his attention was drawn to the bears and away from terrain. When he regained focus, he decided to turn the airplane right, away from rising terrain, but about 90º into the turn, the airplane descended and impacted terrain, and a postcrash fire ensued. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot added that he should have let the observer observe the bears during the low passes.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.