- Date
- March 25, 2002, 07:20 local (14:20 UTC)
- Place
- Fort Peck, MT
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N22EVPiper PA-18-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 9, 2002
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20020325005289A
- Case key
- 54393
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's inability to maintain aircraft control and foreign object damage to the aileron and wing. The restricted movement of the flight controls was a factor.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot was conducting a predator (coyote) control flight over private rangeland. During the flight, at a reported altitude of approximately 40 feet above ground level (AGL), the passenger inadvertently discharged a semiautomatic 12-gauge shotgun. The pilot, who was seated in the forward seat, reported that the gun fired 3-4 times, striking the right wing, fuel tank and aileron assembly. He reported that the damage resulted in a loss of aileron and elevator control. The airplane entered a descending turn to the right and subsequently impacted terrain in a nose-low attitude. The pilot reported the aircraft was on fire upon touchdown and continued to burn after the impact. The pilot reported that there were no preexisting mechanical malfunctions or failures that contributed to the accident.
Factual narrative
On March 25, 2002, about 0720 mountain standard time, a Piper PA-18-150, N22EV, sustained substantial damage after colliding with terrain near Fort Peck, Montana. The airplane is owned by the pilot, and was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) flight under the provisions of Title 14, CFR Part 91. The commercial pilot-in-command and passenger sustained serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed.
The pilot was conducting a predator (coyote) control flight over private rangeland near Fort Peck. During the flight, at a reported altitude of approximately 40 feet above ground level (AGL), the passenger inadvertently discharged a semiautomatic 12-gauge shotgun. The pilot, who was seated in the forward seat, reported that the gun fired 3-4 times, striking the right wing, fuel tank and aileron assembly. He reported that the damage resulted in a loss of aileron and elevator control. The airplane entered a descending turn to the right and subsequently impacted terrain in a nose-low attitude. The pilot reported the aircraft was on fire upon touchdown and continued to burn after the impact.
The pilot reported that there were no preexisting mechanical malfunctions or failures that contributed to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N22EV
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 1809022
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- Both
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Departed
- GGW · Glasgow, MT
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Co-pilot
- Age
- 34
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 925 total · 228 in this make and model · 834 as pilot in command · 120 in the last 90 days · 42 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 12 °F, dew point 7 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.13 inHg
- Observed at
- KGGW, 21 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 15, 2002, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.9 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.