When a Pilot’s Decision to Fly at Low Altitude Proved Fatal

Pilots like to fly low, so what can we learn from this 2017 Cessna 172 accident?

Peter Garrison

Monday, August 06, 2018 at 07:00 PM ET

Verified

This pilot took particular pleasure in low-altitude flying. [File photo: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

Low-altitude flying, especially near water or obstacles, significantly increases the risk of accidents, as demonstrated by multiple fatal incidents involving various aircraft.
Pilot behavior, including disregard for regulations and habitual risky flying, was a major contributing factor in several accidents. Personality traits influencing risk tolerance should be considered.
Lack of pre-flight planning, including checking for obstacles and assessing potential hazards, was a common element in the accidents.
The absence of proper safety equipment, such as personal flotation devices, significantly increased the severity of outcomes in water landings.

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In the late afternoon of October 13, 2017, a 47-year-old, 300-hour pilot with his wife in the seat beside him, was flying westward, below treetop level, over the Mississippi River alongside the town of Ramsey, Minnesota. He banked gently left to follow a bend in the river. Perhaps he was blinded by the low sun; perhaps there was no time to react. His Cessna 172, modified with a 180 hp engine and tailwheel gear, struck power lines 40 feet above the surface and plunged into the water.

The pilot took particular pleasure in low-altitude flying. Even as a student pilot he had triggered calls to the police for buzzing his house. He liked to phone his instructor, who was a personal friend, to report his latest reckless stunts. The instructor tried to persuade him to be more careful, but the pilot shrugged him off, saying, “You realize I am going to die in an aircraft one day.” Well, the instructor suggested, at least he should not take his wife or son with him.