20000721009329A

Accident · No damage

FAA accident report · Beaver Thomas R FERGUSON F II · Benton City, WA · July 21, 2000

Date: July 21, 2000 · 13:45 local
Place: Benton City, WA
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N8228R
NTSB investigation: NTSBSEA00LA137

N8228RRegistration cancelled Aug 17, 2000 · Beaver Thomas R FERGUSON F IIS/N 017 Airframe modelBeaver Thomas R FERGUSON F II

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.

(-23) While on approach to landing on his private airstrip no. of Benton City, WA. Mr. Gary brons a/c struck a powerline with the left main landing gear. The powerline broke but the a/c was slowed to the point it stalled and contacted the ground in a left wing-nose low configuration. The left wing was severly damaged and the fiberglass cockpit was broken adn twisted. A small fire was started by the downed power line and was quickly extinguished. Fire did not involve the a/c in any way. The pilot received minor scrapes. The pilot attributed the descent into the powerline as a result of being on the leeside of several tall trees.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) WHILE ON APPROACH TO LANDING ON HIS PRIVATE AIRSTRIP NO. OF BENTON CITY, WA. MR. GARY BRONS A/C STRUCK A POWERLINE WITH THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR. THE POWERLINE BROKE BUT THE A/C WAS SLOWED TO THE POINT IT STALLED AND CONTACTED THE GROUND IN A LEFT WING-NOSE LOW CONFIGURATION. THE LEFT WING WAS SEVERLY DAMAGED AND THE FIBERGLASS COCKPIT WAS BROKEN ADN TWISTED. A SMALL FIRE WAS STARTED BY THE DOWNED POWER LINE AND WAS QUICKLY EXTINGUISHED. FIRE DID NOT INVOLVE THE A/C IN ANY WAY. THE PILOT RECEIVED MINOR SCRAPES. THE PILOT ATTRIBUTED THE DESCENT INTO THE POWERLINE AS A RESULT OF BEING ON THE LEESIDE OF SEVERAL TALL TREES.

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 SEA00LA137Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportBenton City, WAThe pilot's failure to approach the strip with adequate airspeed for the conditions (resulting in a stall/mush situation), and his failure to maintain adequate altitude and/or clearance above a power line on the approach path. Factors included crosswind…Jul 21, 2000 · Substantial damage