What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On September 2, 1998, approximately 2030 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 172, N8232B, registered to and operated by the pilot, was destroyed when it collided with transmission lines and impacted terrain while on approach to Salt Lake City municipal 2 airport, west jordan, Utah. The private pilot and one passenger were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted undertitle 14 CFR part 91. Flight origination and departure time are unknown. The on-scene investigation and witness corroboration disclosed the airplane struck the top static line of transmission lines located approximately two miles west of the airport. The right wing and empennage were severed. Examination of the propeller disclosed chatter marks and leading edge gouges. All airplane components were located and identified. Flight control continuity was established. (.4) a witness riding on his dirt motorcycle parallel to the powerlines saw two bright flashes and heard a loud bang from behind. The airplane crashed 50 to 75 feet in front of him. Other witnesses reported observing a flash, hearing a loud noise, and observing the airplane desce nding vertically towards the ground. The airplane had struck the top static line on a transmission tower, severing the right wing and empennage. The transmission tower is about 100 feet AGL. Airport traffic pattern altitude is 800 feet AGL. The accident occurred in visual meteorological conditions, during the hours of darkness, about 2 miles west of the airport. The transmission lines run parallel to the runway. (-23)hit powerlines on approach.
As the FAA filed it
ON SEPTEMBER 2, 1998, APPROXIMATELY 2030 MOUNTAIN DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 172, N8232B, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH TRANSMISSION LINES AND IMPACTED TERRAIN WHILE ON APPROACH TO SALT LAKE CITY MUNICIPAL 2 AIRPORT, WEST JORDAN, UTAH. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT CONDUCTED UNDERTITLE 14 CFR PART 91. FLIGHT ORIGINATION AND DEPARTURE TIME ARE UNKNOWN. THE ON-SCENE INVESTIGATION AND WITNESS CORROBORATION DISCLOSED THE AIRPLANE STRUCK THE TOP STATIC LINE OF TRANSMISSION LINES LOCATED APPROXIMATELY TWO MILES WEST OF THE AIRPORT. THE RIGHT WING AND EMPENNAGE WERE SEVERED. EXAMINATION OF THE PROPELLER DISCLOSED CHATTER MARKS AND LEADING EDGE GOUGES. ALL AIRPLANE COMPONENTS WERE LOCATED AND IDENTIFIED. FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED. (.4) A WITNESS RIDING ON HIS DIRT MOTORCYCLE PARALLEL TO THE POWERLINES SAW TWO BRIGHT FLASHES AND HEARD A LOUD BANG FROM BEHIND. THE AIRPLANE CRASHED 50 TO 75 FEET IN FRONT OF HIM. OTHER WITNESSES REPORTED OBSERVING A FLASH, HEARING A LOUD NOISE, AND OBSERVING THE AIRPLANE DESCE NDING VERTICALLY TOWARDS THE GROUND. THE AIRPLANE HAD STRUCK THE TOP STATIC LINE ON A TRANSMISSION TOWER, SEVERING THE RIGHT WING AND EMPENNAGE. THE TRANSMISSION TOWER IS ABOUT 100 FEET AGL. AIRPORT TRAFFIC PATTERN ALTITUDE IS 800 FEET AGL. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS, DURING THE HOURS OF DARKNESS, ABOUT 2 MILES WEST OF THE AIRPORT. THE TRANSMISSION LINES RUN PARALLEL TO THE RUNWAY. (-23)HIT POWERLINES ON APPROACH.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.