What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot was operating this aircraft on a personal flight with one passenger. The aircraft was observed by witnesses operating at low level prior to the accident. The purpose for the low level flight is undetermined. The aircraft struck and cut four 000 electrical transmission wires strung across a road intersection at a height of approximately 25 feet to 30 feet. At least two of the electrical transmission wires became entangled in the airframes fuselage and landing gear. This caused the pilot to lose control and the aircraft impacted a pasture near the road intersection. An extensive post crash fire resulted. The pilot sustained fatal injuries at the scene. The passenger sustained serious burn injuries. The pasture which is the site of this accident had at one time been used as a private landing strip. It had not been utilized for this purpose for several years. The electrical transmission lines struck were at one point buried underneath the road but had been relocated in the last year above ground due to maintenance of the electrical distribution system for this county. It is unknown if the pilot was aware of this relocation.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT WAS OPERATING THIS AIRCRAFT ON A PERSONAL FLIGHT WITH ONE PASSENGER. THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED BY WITNESSES OPERATING AT LOW LEVEL PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. THE PURPOSE FOR THE LOW LEVEL FLIGHT IS UNDETERMINED. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK AND CUT FOUR 000 ELECTRICAL TRANSMISSION WIRES STRUNG ACROSS A ROAD INTERSECTION AT A HEIGHT OF APPROXIMATELY 25 FEET TO 30 FEET. AT LEAST TWO OF THE ELECTRICAL TRANSMISSION WIRES BECAME ENTANGLED IN THE AIRFRAMES FUSELAGE AND LANDING GEAR. THIS CAUSED THE PILOT TO LOSE CONTROL AND THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED A PASTURE NEAR THE ROAD INTERSECTION. AN EXTENSIVE POST CRASH FIRE RESULTED. THE PILOT SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES AT THE SCENE. THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED SERIOUS BURN INJURIES. THE PASTURE WHICH IS THE SITE OF THIS ACCIDENT HAD AT ONE TIME BEEN USED AS A PRIVATE LANDING STRIP. IT HAD NOT BEEN UTILIZED FOR THIS PURPOSE FOR SEVERAL YEARS. THE ELECTRICAL TRANSMISSION LINES STRUCK WERE AT ONE POINT BURIED UNDERNEATH THE ROAD BUT HAD BEEN RELOCATED IN THE LAST YEAR ABOVE GROUND DUE TO MAINTENANCE OF THE ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM FOR THIS COUNTY. IT IS UNKNOWN IF THE PILOT WAS AWARE OF THIS RELOCATION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.