What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Flying low over river. Struck wires aircraft fell into river and sank. (.4)the pilot reported that while in level flight heading southbound at 75' the airplane impacted power lines. The power lines were not marked and were not depicted on the current sectional chart, which he had consulted prior to flight. He added that the poles of the power lines were obscured by trees along the shoreline which make it difficult to be seen in flight. Examination of the twin cites sectional aeronautical chart reveals the following caution, 'caution: this chart is primarily designed for VFR navigational purposes and does not purport to indicate the presence of all telephone, telegraph and power transmission lines, terrain or obstacles which may be encountered below reasonable and safe altitudes'. (-23) pilot brown departed a small privately owned airport near st. cloud, Minnesota at around 1430 CDT. He circled the town of st. cloud once and then flew southeast over the Mississippi river. He hit electric wires that were essentially perpendicular to his path of flight, the wires being about sixty feet above the water but with no warning orange balls to identify the m. he hit the wires, came to an abrupt stop, and fell into the river. Brown escaped through the windshield and swam to shore. Pilot suffered minor injuries. Aircraft demolished.
As the FAA filed it
FLYING LOW OVER RIVER. STRUCK WIRES AIRCRAFT FELL INTO RIVER AND SANK. (.4)THE PILOT REPORTED THAT WHILE IN LEVEL FLIGHT HEADING SOUTHBOUND AT 75' THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED POWER LINES. THE POWER LINES WERE NOT MARKED AND WERE NOT DEPICTED ON THE CURRENT SECTIONAL CHART, WHICH HE HAD CONSULTED PRIOR TO FLIGHT. HE ADDED THAT THE POLES OF THE POWER LINES WERE OBSCURED BY TREES ALONG THE SHORELINE WHICH MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO BE SEEN IN FLIGHT. EXAMINATION OF THE TWIN CITES SECTIONAL AERONAUTICAL CHART REVEALS THE FOLLOWING CAUTION, 'CAUTION: THIS CHART IS PRIMARILY DESIGNED FOR VFR NAVIGATIONAL PURPOSES AND DOES NOT PURPORT TO INDICATE THE PRESENCE OF ALL TELEPHONE, TELEGRAPH AND POWER TRANSMISSION LINES, TERRAIN OR OBSTACLES WHICH MAY BE ENCOUNTERED BELOW REASONABLE AND SAFE ALTITUDES'. (-23) PILOT BROWN DEPARTED A SMALL PRIVATELY OWNED AIRPORT NEAR ST. CLOUD, MINNESOTA AT AROUND 1430 CDT. HE CIRCLED THE TOWN OF ST. CLOUD ONCE AND THEN FLEW SOUTHEAST OVER THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. HE HIT ELECTRIC WIRES THAT WERE ESSENTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO HIS PATH OF FLIGHT, THE WIRES BEING ABOUT SIXTY FEET ABOVE THE WATER BUT WITH NO WARNING ORANGE BALLS TO IDENTIFY THE M. HE HIT THE WIRES, CAME TO AN ABRUPT STOP, AND FELL INTO THE RIVER. BROWN ESCAPED THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD AND SWAM TO SHORE. PILOT SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES. AIRCRAFT DEMOLISHED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.