What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On March 8, 2008 at approximately 1715Z, a Cessna, model 172M flown by the deceased pilot privacy data omitted and accompanied by passenger privacy data omitted impacted a utility line while maneuvering over lakeview elementary school located in gun Barrel city, Texas. An acquaintance of the deceased, who was an eyewitness to the accident, stated the aircraft approached from the east, overflew the eyewitness position on the school grounds and reduced power to begin an approximately 270 degree left turn at a steep bank angle. The aircraft was observed completing the turn and heading in a northerly direction towards the school ground. The witness stated that the aircraft appeared under control and normal power but was very close to the ground and gave him concern of the aircraft's ability to clear a newly installed power line. The witness observed the aircraft start a right hand bank in the vicinity of the power line on a northerly heading towards the witness. He subsequently saw the aircraft's right wing engage the power line, become entangled and subsequently impact the ground right wing first. The aircraft's ground impact left a 43 foot long ground scar approximately 8 inches wide.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON MARCH 8, 2008 AT APPROXIMATELY 1715Z, A CESSNA, MODEL 172M FLOWN BY THE DECEASED PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND ACCOMPANIED BY PASSENGER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ IMPACTED A UTILITY LINE WHILE MANEUVERING OVER LAKEVIEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LOCATED IN GUN BARREL CITY, TEXAS. AN ACQUAINTANCE OF THE DECEASED, WHO WAS AN EYEWITNESS TO THE ACCIDENT, STATED THE AIRCRAFT APPROACHED FROM THE EAST, OVERFLEW THE EYEWITNESS POSITION ON THE SCHOOL GROUNDS AND REDUCED POWER TO BEGIN AN APPROXIMATELY 270 DEGREE LEFT TURN AT A STEEP BANK ANGLE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED COMPLETING THE TURN AND HEADING IN A NORTHERLY DIRECTION TOWARDS THE SCHOOL GROUND. THE WITNESS STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED UNDER CONTROL AND NORMAL POWER BUT WAS VERY CLOSE TO THE GROUND AND GAVE HIM CONCERN OF THE AIRCRAFT'S ABILITY TO CLEAR A NEWLY INSTALLED POWER LINE. THE WITNESS OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT START A RIGHT HAND BANK IN THE VICINITY OF THE POWER LINE ON A NORTHERLY HEADING TOWARDS THE WITNESS. HE SUBSEQUENTLY SAW THE AIRCRAFT'S RIGHT WING ENGAGE THE POWER LINE, BECOME ENTANGLED AND SUBSEQUENTLY IMPACT THE GROUND RIGHT WING FIRST. THE AIRCRAFT'S GROUND IMPACT LEFT A 43 FOOT LONG GROUND SCAR APPROXIMATELY 8 INCHES WIDE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.