- Date
- November 6, 2010, 12:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Heber City, UT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N178WWAviat A-1B
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 16, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Salt Lake FSDO
- FAA report
- 20101106049349A
- Case key
- 77754
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 failure to maintain clearance from the ground during low-level maneuvering in mountainous/hilly terrain.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
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.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that he was practicing the procedures for making approaches to back-country 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 flight was crossing the ridge, the airplane encountered a downdraft which resulted in it suddenly losing altitude. The pilot stated that before he was able to correct the situation, one of the airplane's main 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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N178WW
- Reported as
- Aviat A-1B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2378
- Airframe hours
- 114
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A1D6, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Stern Lessing S
- Registered owner
- Stern Lessing S
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 19, 2010
- Departed
- 36U · Heber City, UT
- Destination
- 36U · Heber City, UT
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
- Pilot
- Age
- 49
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Flight hours
- 3,833 total · 98 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 7, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 911 KB 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.