- Date
- June 7, 2024, 05:55 local (11:55 UTC)
- Place
- Garrett, WY · remote open terrain
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N40561Piper PA-18-150
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20240607007099A
- Case key
- 194432
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 terrain while conducting low-level altitude operations, following an encounter with wake turbulence.
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 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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N40561
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-7509128
- Built
- 1975
- Airframe hours
- 10,164
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-C4P, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Public use
- Operator
- United States Department Of Agriculture
- Registered owner
- United States Department Of Agriculture
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 17, 2024 · 49 hours before
- Departed
- CPR · Casper, WY
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- NA
- Equipment
- ADS-B
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 48
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 30, 2023
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 7,272 total · 668 in this make and model · 7,095 as pilot in command · 122 in the last 90 days · 34 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Other flight crew
- Injuries
- None
- Seat
- Center
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 0 total · 0 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 2 knots
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 6, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.1 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.