19980711025059A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Amtr MUSTANG2 · Hillsdale, WY · July 11, 1998

Date: July 11, 1998 · 05:15 local
Place: Hillsdale, WY
Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N121GD
NTSB investigation: NTSBFTW98LA309
Reported as: Amtr MUSTANG2
Reported engine: Lycoming O320E2D
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 475 total250 in this make and model15 in the last 90 days

N121GDRegistration cancelled Mar 13, 2003 · Overton Gaylon D OVERTON MUSTANG M-IIS/N M-II-1217 · Built 1994 Airframe modelOverton Gaylon D OVERTON MUSTANG M-II Engine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Engine missing. Elected land on highway. Struck wires surveying area. Wires hidden by early dawn. No landing light. (.4) the pilot said he heard a `slight hesitation or miss' in the engine and increased power slightly. The engine gauges registered normal and the engine seemed to `smooth out.' He sighted a road below and descended to assess its suitability for a possible forced landing in case the engine lost power. He felt the airplane strike something and shudder, then heard a loud rumbling noise. The airplane struck wires that crossed the road, impacted the roadway, then collided with a bridge.

As the FAA filed it

ENGINE MISSING. ELECTED LAND ON HIGHWAY. STRUCK WIRES SURVEYING AREA. WIRES HIDDEN BY EARLY DAWN. NO LANDING LIGHT. (.4) THE PILOT SAID HE HEARD A `SLIGHT HESITATION OR MISS' IN THE ENGINE AND INCREASED POWER SLIGHTLY. THE ENGINE GAUGES REGISTERED NORMAL AND THE ENGINE SEEMED TO `SMOOTH OUT.' HE SIGHTED A ROAD BELOW AND DESCENDED TO ASSESS ITS SUITABILITY FOR A POSSIBLE FORCED LANDING IN CASE THE ENGINE LOST POWER. HE FELT THE AIRPLANE STRIKE SOMETHING AND SHUDDER, THEN HEARD A LOUD RUMBLING NOISE. THE AIRPLANE STRUCK WIRES THAT CROSSED THE ROAD, IMPACTED THE ROADWAY, THEN COLLIDED WITH A BRIDGE.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB FTW98LA309Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportHillsdale, WYThe pilot's inadequate visual lookout and his failure to maintain adequate clearance from obstacles. Factors were an intentional low altitude flight maneuver, wires, and low light conditions.Jul 11, 1998 · Substantial damage