What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On December 31, 2010, about 1055 pacific standard time, a Quest kodiak 100, N702FW, impacted a power line strung across the smith river about five miles northeast of Reedsport, Oregon. The commercial pilot and his two passengers were not injured, but the airplane, which was owned and operated by the united states department of interior, sustained substantial damage. The public use migratory waterfowl aerial observation flight, which departed North Bend regional airport, North Bend, Oregon, about 1000, had a planned destination of astoria, Oregon. At the time of the accident, the plane was being operated in visual meteorological conditions. The pilot filed and activated a visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan. According to the pilot, prior to making his observation flight up the smith river at a planned altitude of about 200 feet above ground level (AGL), he first overflew the area at 500 feet AGL in order to look for any possible obstructions. He then began his observation flight, and when he was about five miles northeast of Reedsport, the airplane impacted the power line. The pilot further stated that although he saw the power line immediately prior to the impact, he did not have time enough to take evasive action that would have avoided the wire. After the impact, the pilot checked the plane's controllability, and then made the decision to return to North Bend regional airport for landing. The impact with the power line resulted in a rip of the skin and deformation of one aileron, and several chunks of metal being torn from the leading edge of the propeller.
As the FAA filed it
ON DECEMBER 31, 2010, ABOUT 1055 PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, A QUEST KODIAK 100, N702FW, IMPACTED A POWER LINE STRUNG ACROSS THE SMITH RIVER ABOUT FIVE MILES NORTHEAST OF REEDSPORT, OREGON. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND HIS TWO PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED, BUT THE AIRPLANE, WHICH WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PUBLIC USE MIGRATORY WATERFOWL AERIAL OBSERVATION FLIGHT, WHICH DEPARTED NORTH BEND REGIONAL AIRPORT, NORTH BEND, OREGON, ABOUT 1000, HAD A PLANNED DESTINATION OF ASTORIA, OREGON. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, THE PLANE WAS BEING OPERATED IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. THE PILOT FILED AND ACTIVATED A VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) FLIGHT PLAN.ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, PRIOR TO MAKING HIS OBSERVATION FLIGHT UP THE SMITH RIVER AT A PLANNED ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 200 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL), HE FIRST OVERFLEW THE AREA AT 500 FEET AGL IN ORDER TO LOOK FOR ANY POSSIBLE OBSTRUCTIONS. HE THEN BEGAN HIS OBSERVATION FLIGHT, AND WHEN HE WAS ABOUT FIVE MILES NORTHEAST OF REEDSPORT, THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED THE POWER LINE. THE PILOT FURTHER STATED THAT ALTHOUGH HE SAW THE POWER LINE IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO THE IMPACT, HE DID NOT HAVE TIME ENOUGH TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTION THAT WOULD HAVE AVOIDED THE WIRE. AFTER THE IMPACT, THE PILOT CHECKED THE PLANE'S CONTROLLABILITY, AND THEN MADE THE DECISION TO RETURN TO NORTH BEND REGIONAL AIRPORT FOR LANDING.THE IMPACT WITH THE POWER LINE RESULTED IN A RIP OF THE SKIN AND DEFORMATION OF ONE AILERON, AND SEVERAL CHUNKS OF METAL BEING TORN FROM THE LEADING EDGE OF THE PROPELLER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.