What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On July 6, 2002, at around 0930 local time, witnesses observed N738QT, a CE-172, flying low over the salmon river. The aircraft then collided with some power lines that crossed over the river and crashed into the ground. The two occupants of the aircraft were fatally injured. (.19) on July 6, 2002, approximately 0930 pacific daylight time, a Cessna 172N, N738QT, registered to and being flown by a private pilot was destroyed during an uncontrolled collision with terrain following a collision with power lines and loss of control while in cruise approximately two and one-half miles west of otis, Oregon. The pilot and passenger sustained fatal injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed. The flight, which was personal, was operated under 14 CFR 91, and originated from mcnary field, salem, Oregon, at 0907. Witnesses reported observing the aircraft flying west bound over the salmon creek inlet, low to the ground when it executed an abrupt climbing left turn as it approached power lines spanning the creek from north to south. The aircraft impacted the two power lines, severing both lines, both of which were approximately 60 feet above the ground. The aircraft then spiraled steeply down to ground impact on a sand bar which had been exposed under low tide conditions.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON JULY 6, 2002, AT AROUND 0930 LOCAL TIME, WITNESSES OBSERVED N738QT, A CE-172, FLYING LOW OVER THE SALMON RIVER. THE AIRCRAFT THEN COLLIDED WITH SOME POWER LINES THAT CROSSED OVER THE RIVER AND CRASHED INTO THE GROUND. THE TWO OCCUPANTS OF THE AIRCRAFT WERE FATALLY INJURED. (.19) ON JULY 6, 2002, APPROXIMATELY 0930 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A CESSNA 172N, N738QT, REGISTERED TO AND BEING FLOWN BY A PRIVATE PILOT WAS DESTROYED DURING AN UNCONTROLLED COLLISION WITH TERRAIN FOLLOWING A COLLISION WITH POWER LINES AND LOSS OF CONTROL WHILE IN CRUISE APPROXIMATELY TWO AND ONE-HALF MILES WEST OF OTIS, OREGON. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE FLIGHT, WHICH WAS PERSONAL, WAS OPERATED UNDER 14 CFR 91, AND ORIGINATED FROM MCNARY FIELD, SALEM, OREGON, AT 0907. WITNESSES REPORTED OBSERVING THE AIRCRAFT FLYING WEST BOUND OVER THE SALMON CREEK INLET, LOW TO THE GROUND WHEN IT EXECUTED AN ABRUPT CLIMBING LEFT TURN AS IT APPROACHED POWER LINES SPANNING THE CREEK FROM NORTH TO SOUTH. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE TWO POWER LINES, SEVERING BOTH LINES, BOTH OF WHICH WERE APPROXIMATELY 60 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT THEN SPIRALED STEEPLY DOWN TO GROUND IMPACT ON A SAND BAR WHICH HAD BEEN EXPOSED UNDER LOW TIDE CONDITIONS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.