# Accident 19970218003679A: Piper PA36375, Danevang, TX, February 18, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 18, 1997, 09:15 local time
- Place: Danevang, TX
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Low Level Operations
- Operating rules: Agricultural (Part 137)
- Location: 29.0799° N, 96.1696° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.0799&lon=-96.1696&mi=10
- Aircraft: N7167E, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N7167E-2009-12-03) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-36-375 (registry code 7103620, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-36-375) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming IO-720 series (registry code 41546, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-720-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA36375
- Reported engine: LYC IO720D1C
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 2,286 total, 639 in this make and model, 42 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW97LA105](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW97LA105) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970218003679A

## Narrative

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

(.4)THE PILOT STATED THAT DURING THE FIFTH SPRAYING PASS, HE ELECTED TO CROSS UNDER THE POWER LINES WHICH HE ESTIMATED TO BE SUSPENDED ABOUT 35 TO 40 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. AS THE AIRPLANE CROSSED UNDER THE POWER LINES, AT AN ESTIMATED WHEEL HEIGHT OF 18 INCHES ABOVE GROUND LEVEL, THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR BECAME ENTANGLED ON A BROKEN STATIC WIRE THAT WAS LEFT DANGLING FROM ATOP ONE OF THE 65 FOOT POLES. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE STATIC WIRE, WHICH HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY CUT BY ANOTHER AIRPLANE, HAD BEEN PULLED OFF THE GROUND BY THE UTILITY COMPANY AND TEMPORARILY TIED OFF SO ONE PORTION OF THE CABLE WAS SUSPENDED ABOUT 6 FEET OFF THE GROUND. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE DECELERATED 'RATHER ABRUPTLY' AS THE GEAR WAS TORN FROM THE AIRFRAME, AND THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE GROUND IN 'A SLIGHT NOSE LOW ATTITUDE,' SKIDDING ALONG THE GROUND FOR 190 FEET PRIOR TO COMING TO A STOP. THE POWER COMPANY REPORTED THAT A POWER INTERRUPTION OCCURRED ON THE EVENING PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT; HOWEVER, THE DOWNED STATIC LINE WAS LEFT UNMARKED. NEITHER THE PROPERTY OWNER NOR THE OPERATOR OF THE AIRPLANE THAT CUT THE LINE WERE NOTIFIED OF THE DOWNED LINE PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.                        (-23) SEE NARRATIVE #FTW97LA105.

## 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 FTW97LA105](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW97LA105), Feb 18, 1997: Piper PA-36-375 (N7167E), Danevang, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: The utility's company failure to notify affected parties of the downed line, and the pilot's failure to maintain clearance with the downed wire. A factor was the downed wire.

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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