A-1 Husky
Flight Crew Private; Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 45; Flight Crew Total 2400; Flight Crew Type 20
Distraction; Training / Qualification
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Other / Unknown; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Aircraft; Human Factors; Procedure
No FARs were broken and at no time did I feel that I; (the only occupant of the aircraft); anything or structure was in danger. I was on a long; cross country in a slow plane.... At CUT I picked up an FAA flyer about flying near Mt Rushmore- my intent was to fly by Mt. Rushmore and be on my way east. Upon departure from CUT I noticed a mountainside that had been exposed and knowing that the 'Crazy Horse' stone carving was near by; I diverted to investigate. I slowed the plane to 70 MPH and set in 20 degrees of flaps and reduced power to maintain a 300 FPM descent from 7;500 MSL. A quick look at my chart (on the iPad) showed a monument marker ahead but no restricted airspace around it. I decided it was best to keep a wide berth from the monument and to stay well above it. I decided on 2;000 FT horizontally and to stay above the high ground (7;242 FT) to the east. As I approached the monument from the southeast on a northerly heading; I encountered a sink that required I apply power to maintain level flight and; in addition; I turned toward the monument in order to stay away from the rising terrain to the east in case I was unable to out climb the sinking air. The sinking air caused me to break my personal preset standard clearance of the monument of 2;000 FT horizontally and to stay above the high ground to the east. My best estimate is that I got between 1;500 and 2;000 FT horizontally of the monument while maintaining 7;200 MSL- all legal; but not what I had planned. I soon cleared the ridge to the north with ample room to spare and was on my way east skipping my earlier plan to fly over Mt Rushmore. I am writing this as a way to remind myself to do a better job of planning and to not be suckered in by chance encounters with interesting objects on the ground calling me to 'have a look'; especially in a plane that does low and slow well because low and slow can turn into spin and die. My excitement to see the Crazy Horse carving from the air; a nimble slow flying and high performance aircraft and not following my plan to fly directly from CUT to the Mt. Rushmore Monument; all resulted in putting me in a less than desirable position that could have been avoided.
Pilot of a small aircraft encounted a downdraft while flying by a National Monument site and descended lower than planned; but did not violate FAR restrictions.