Cessna 180F N2698Y accident near Townsend, Montana

Probable cause

The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from trees and terrain while maneuvering at a low altitude.

NTSB analysis

The pilot was on a cross-country flight during daytime visual meteorological conditions. A witness near the accident site reported observing a high-wing airplane similar to the accident airplane flying about 20 to 30 feet above the ground at a high rate of speed. The witness stated that the airplane was low enough to startle a herd of elk near the airplane's flight path. The witness continued watching the airplane as it pitched up and to the left, making a 180-degree turn steep enough to allow him to see the tops of both wings. There were no known witnesses to the accident sequence. The wreckage was located near the base of a mountain range about 2 days later, after being the subject of a missing airplane alert notice. Accident site documentation of the ground scars, contact evidence on the trees, and impact damage to the airplane were indicative of a high-speed controlled flight collision with trees and, subsequently, the ground. Examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical anomalies.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR09FA154 for the full record.