What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The a/c, a Beech-19 was on a cross-country dual instruction flight after departing from moses lake, WA. Over mansfield airport, the instructor diverted the student to Grand Coulee, electric city airport, for purposes of completing lesson 4 navigation, pilotage and lost procedures. While enroute to the alternate airport, and in preparation for landing, the student pilot at the controls reported seeing the "orange ball" located on the static wires on the high voltage power lines, just prior to striking them. The ball broke off the static wire and fell to the ground. The a/c had the leading edge of the left wing torn through and a six foot piece of wing sheared off, dropping to the ground just below the 250 foot high tower that supported the power lines. At that point, the tail section just aft of the rear seats, at the bulkhead separated from the rest of the a/c and fell to the ground. The remaining fuselage fell through the rest of the wires and hit the ground spinner first. The two pilots were seriously injured.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE A/C, A BEECH-19 WAS ON A CROSS-COUNTRY DUAL INSTRUCTION FLIGHT AFTER DEPARTING FROM MOSES LAKE, WA. OVER MANSFIELD AIRPORT, THE INSTRUCTOR DIVERTED THE STUDENT TO GRAND COULEE, ELECTRIC CITY AIRPORT, FOR PURPOSES OF COMPLETING LESSON 4 NAVIGATION, PILOTAGE AND LOST PROCEDURES. WHILE ENROUTE TO THE ALTERNATE AIRPORT, AND IN PREPARATION FOR LANDING, THE STUDENT PILOT AT THE CONTROLS REPORTED SEEING THE "ORANGE BALL" LOCATED ON THE STATIC WIRES ON THE HIGH VOLTAGE POWER LINES, JUST PRIOR TO STRIKING THEM. THE BALL BROKE OFF THE STATIC WIRE AND FELL TO THE GROUND. THE A/C HAD THE LEADING EDGE OF THE LEFT WING TORN THROUGH AND A SIX FOOT PIECE OF WING SHEARED OFF, DROPPING TO THE GROUND JUST BELOW THE 250 FOOT HIGH TOWER THAT SUPPORTED THE POWER LINES. AT THAT POINT, THE TAIL SECTION JUST AFT OF THE REAR SEATS, AT THE BULKHEAD SEPARATED FROM THE REST OF THE A/C AND FELL TO THE GROUND. THE REMAINING FUSELAGE FELL THROUGH THE REST OF THE WIRES AND HIT THE GROUND SPINNER FIRST. THE TWO PILOTS WERE SERIOUSLY INJURED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.