# Accident 19960919028699A: Piper PA18135, Gillette, WY, September 19, 1996

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 19, 1996, 09:56 local time
- Place: Gillette, WY
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Low Level Operations
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 44.4599° N, 105.7008° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=44.4599&lon=-105.7008&mi=10
- Aircraft: N8789C, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N8789C) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-18-135 (registry code 7101820, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-18-135) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-290 series (registry code 41506, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-290-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA18135
- Reported engine: LYC O320*
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Pilot flight hours: 6,400 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB SEA96LA216](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA96LA216) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960919028699A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

PREDATOR HUNTING FLIGHT. HIT POWERLINE AND GROUND. CHASING A FOX. GOT TOO LOW. PROBABLE NEVER SAW POWERLINE.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB SEA96LA216](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA96LA216), Sep 19, 1996: Piper PA-18 (N8789C), Gillette, WY, substantial damage, 1 fatal. Probable cause: failure of the pilot to see-and-avoid the obstruction (power line). The powerline was a related factor.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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