N5483H – Piper PA-18-105 – 2004-05-01 NTSB Accident Report

On May 01, 2004, a Piper PA-18-105 (N5483H) was involved in an incident near Laurel, MT. All 2 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance/altitude while maneuvering resulting in the inadvertent in-flight collision with water/terrain.

On May 1, 2004, approximately 1245 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-18-105, N5483H, registered to and being operated/flown by a private pilot sustained substantial damage during inadvertent flight into terrain while maneuvering approximately two nautical miles south of Laurel, Montana. Neither the pilot nor the passenger was injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed. The local flight, which was personal, was operated under 14 CFR 91, and originated from Billings, Montana, at 1157.

The pilot reported that he and his wife were sightseeing along the Yellowstone River just south of Laurel, Montana, when he spotted what he described as unusual animal tracks on a gravel sand bar adjacent to the river.

This incident is documented in NTSB report SEA04LA077. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N5483H.