Aviat A-1 accident near Emmett, Idaho, April 6, 1999
On April 6, 1999 at about 6:25 pm local time, a Aviat A-1, registered N345HU, was substantially damaged in an accident near Emmett, Idaho. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during a low-altitude maneuver to view a coyote on the ground. A related factor was the pilot's low altitude.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 6, 1999 · about 6:25 pm local time
- Place
- Emmett, Idaho · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aviat A-1
- Registration
- N345HU · registry record · serial 1337
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Before radar contact with the aircraft was lost, approach control radar tracked the aircraft descending to an altitude of 300 feet above ground level or less. As the aircraft was being flown at low altitude, one of the aircraft occupants spotted a coyote. The pilot reported he then initiated a 270-degree turn to get a better view of the coyote, and that as the aircraft rolled out of the 270-degree turn, the aircraft experienced a high rate of descent, which addition of power and raising the nose failed to arrest. The passenger reported that as soon as the coyote was called out, the pilot immediately rolled into a steep turn, and that the next thing he remembered was ground impact. The pilot reported that no mechanical malfunction was involved, and FAA inspectors found no evidence of mechanical problems in the wreckage. Weather reports and forecasts for the area disclosed no indications of high winds or turbulence during the time frame of the accident flight.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 953 hours in all; 265 in this make and model; 62 in the last 90 days; 23 in the last 30 days; 883 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 301 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 22, 1999; 28 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-C1G (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BOI Boise ID at 5:45 pm
- Destination: S78 Emmett ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 343° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:35 pm from EUL, 14 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N345HU the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number SEA99LA047.