Piper PA-18-150 accident near Thurlow, Montana, May 14, 2024

The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record

The pilot of the tandem seat, non-registered airplane and a passenger were conducting a predator control flight that targeted coyotes on private land. A wildlife control officer on the ground near the designated hunting area was communicating with the pilot via through cell phone and could hear gunfire when the call ended. The control officer attempted to call the pilot back after he expected the flight to have ended but did not determine a need to search for the airplane. A ranch hand located the wreckage later in the day. GPS data recovered from a handheld device found in the airplane wreckage showed that most of the flight was conducted at low altitudes. While engaging wildlife targets, the pilot slowed the airplane to as low as 36 kts groundspeed and performed multiple turns. During the last period of circling maneuvers the airplane slowed to about 25 kts groundspeed while about 113 ft above ground level (agl). The manufacturer’s Pilot’s Operating Handbook for a similar model of airplane indicated that the stall airspeed was 43 mph (37 kts). Examination of the wreckage revealed the airplane impacted terrain in a nearly vertical, nose-down attitude while rotating clockwise. The wreckage signatures and very small debris area were consistent with an aerodynamic stall/spin. While maneuvering at low altitudes and low airspeed, the pilot likely exceeded the airplane’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall/spin at an altitude too low for recovery. The pilot’s use of his cell phone, even with the aid of a hands-free device, likely distracted him from piloting duties. The pilot’s toxicological testing revealed medications that had the potential to cause performance impairment and other medications that were commonly used to treat cold and allergy symptoms; however, toxicological testing did not establish that the pilot was impaired by the medication, nor that he was experiencing cold or allergy symptoms at the time of the accident.

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.

Photographs from the investigation 3 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them

Photograph 1 – N14323, at the accident site.Photograph 2 – Right side view.Photograph 3 – Left side view.

The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.

Other NTSB records under UNREG the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time