Piper PA-18-150 N40561

Summary

On 7 June 2024 at about 11:55 local time, a Piper PA-18-150 registered N40561, operated by United States Department of Agriculture, was involved in an accident near Garrett, Wyoming, United States. 2 people were on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

7 June 2024 at 11:55

Classification

Accident

Location

Garrett, Wyoming, United States

Coordinates

42.1681, -105.9291

Aircraft

Piper PA-18-150

Registration

N40561

Category

Airplane

Year built

1975

Engines

1

Operator

United States Department of Agriculture

Operating rule

Public Use

Purpose of flight

Other Work Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Casper → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR24LA187

1 person had minor injuries.

The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from terrain while conducting low-level altitude operations, following an encounter with wake turbulence.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that during an animal damage control mission, while maneuvering at a low altitude over wildlife, the airplane encountered “rough, disturbed air,” which he counteracted by leveling the wings pushing the nose down slightly. As the airplane began to fly out of the disturbed air, it encountered disturbed air a second time, which the pilot leveled the wings and moved the [control] stick to neutral due to the close proximity of the ground and sink rate. Subsequently the airplane impacted the ground and came to rest inverted. 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.