What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Struck electrical wires and then impacted terrain while attempting to evad e deteriorating weather conditions. (.4)the pilot reported he was flying between cloud layers at 7,500 feet MSL, when the airplane started to accumulate airframe ice. He reversed his direction to return to spear fish, south dakota, but the weather continued to deteriorate. He decided to make an off-airport landing in a field. The pilot reported that he circled the field two times. On the third pass, while on final approach, the airplane contacted the lower line of a dual set of wires. The airplane then nosed down and impacted the terrain prior to nosing over inverted. (-23) departed from spearfish, SD, VFR for Minnesota at 1200 MST. Approximately 8 minutes after departure, began accumulating ice on airframe, 7,500 feet MSL, between layers, turned around 180 degrees. Clouds accumulating on ground. PIC did not feel he could reach spf due to airframe icing and deteriorating weather conditions. He elected to make an off-airport landing in a field 8-9 miles from Whitewood, SD. He made two passes to observe lan ding site. Observed power lines and poles running parallel to field. During final approach on third pass, struck two power lines running perpendicu alr to landing. Right wing contacted lines, aircraft stalled, hit ground and flipped inverted.
As the FAA filed it
STRUCK ELECTRICAL WIRES AND THEN IMPACTED TERRAIN WHILE ATTEMPTING TO EVAD E DETERIORATING WEATHER CONDITIONS. (.4)THE PILOT REPORTED HE WAS FLYING BETWEEN CLOUD LAYERS AT 7,500 FEET MSL, WHEN THE AIRPLANE STARTED TO ACCUMULATE AIRFRAME ICE. HE REVERSED HIS DIRECTION TO RETURN TO SPEAR FISH, SOUTH DAKOTA, BUT THE WEATHER CONTINUED TO DETERIORATE. HE DECIDED TO MAKE AN OFF-AIRPORT LANDING IN A FIELD. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE CIRCLED THE FIELD TWO TIMES. ON THE THIRD PASS, WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH, THE AIRPLANE CONTACTED THE LOWER LINE OF A DUAL SET OF WIRES. THE AIRPLANE THEN NOSED DOWN AND IMPACTED THE TERRAIN PRIOR TO NOSING OVER INVERTED. (-23) DEPARTED FROM SPEARFISH, SD, VFR FOR MINNESOTA AT 1200 MST. APPROXIMATELY 8 MINUTES AFTER DEPARTURE, BEGAN ACCUMULATING ICE ON AIRFRAME, 7,500 FEET MSL, BETWEEN LAYERS, TURNED AROUND 180 DEGREES. CLOUDS ACCUMULATING ON GROUND. PIC DID NOT FEEL HE COULD REACH SPF DUE TO AIRFRAME ICING AND DETERIORATING WEATHER CONDITIONS. HE ELECTED TO MAKE AN OFF-AIRPORT LANDING IN A FIELD 8-9 MILES FROM WHITEWOOD, SD. HE MADE TWO PASSES TO OBSERVE LAN DING SITE. OBSERVED POWER LINES AND POLES RUNNING PARALLEL TO FIELD. DURING FINAL APPROACH ON THIRD PASS, STRUCK TWO POWER LINES RUNNING PERPENDICU ALR TO LANDING. RIGHT WING CONTACTED LINES, AIRCRAFT STALLED, HIT GROUND AND FLIPPED INVERTED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.