PA-28 Cherokee/Archer/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Flight Crew Student
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 36; Flight Crew Total 36; Flight Crew Type 36
Situational Awareness
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT
Flight Crew Took Evasive Action; Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Human Factors
Pilot generally tracked the course of a highway northward towards ZZZ. Roughly 13 nm south of ZZZ pilot practiced steep turns and ground reference maneuvers over a busy interstate at generally 750-1;000 feet AGL. At this altitude the terrain warning system was continually activated. Pilot selected a motor vehicle traveling southbound on the interstate as a reference point to practice turns around a point initiating the maneuver at 600 feet AGL. Altitude was lost in the maneuver after several turns. The pilot noticed an altitude as low as 400 feet AGL; and brought the maneuver up to a higher altitude. Velocity throughout the maneuver was about 100 KIAS; well above stall speed. The most significant contributing factor to the low altitude condition was the pilot ignoring the terrain warning system; which he had done previously when conducting ground reference numbers; along with fixation at a point on the surface without periodic reorientation.The altitude the aircraft was transiently at would not have allowed an emergency landing without undue hazard to persons or property on the surface; considering that the highway had evening traffic. Altitude awareness and a prudent appreciation of risk would correct the situation if encountered again.
Piper Warrior II pilot reported practicing maneuvers below FAR-mandated altitudes and continuously ignoring the terrain warning system.