20130119000289A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Cessna 140 · Boulder, UT · January 19, 2013

Date: January 19, 2013 · 15:01 local
Place: Boulder, UT
Phase of flight: Maneuver
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N2341N
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR13FA095
Reported as: Cessna 140
Reported engine: Lycoming 0-290 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 2
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,500 total

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.

On January 20, 2013, the local pilot and friend were maneuvering the Cessna 140, N2341N, over the calf creek waterfalls in the valley at a high rate of speed. The pilot allowed the aircraft to drift over ut hwy 12 ,78.2 mile marker, at saddle ridgeline, the location of a set of well-known and visible high power lines ranging from 80-95 feet above the ground. The aircraft intersected the power lines with an angle of about 30 degrees, in a left turn with a bank angle of approximately 45 degrees. The right wing struck the wires at mid-wing. The wing was torn from the fuselage and landed in the road. The loss of the wing resulted in a right roll that wrapping around the wires and severing the tail section. Aircraft debris was scattered over a couple hundred yards. Except for the right wing, the major components of the aircraft landed a couple hundred yards down the mountain ridge.

As the FAA filed it

ON JANUARY 20, 2013, THE LOCAL PILOT AND FRIEND WERE MANEUVERING THE CESSNA 140, N2341N, OVER THE CALF CREEK WATERFALLS IN THE VALLEY AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. THE PILOT ALLOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO DRIFT OVER UT HWY 12 ,78.2 MILE MARKER, AT SADDLE RIDGELINE, THE LOCATION OF A SET OF WELL-KNOWN AND VISIBLE HIGH POWER LINES RANGING FROM 80-95 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT INTERSECTED THE POWER LINES WITH AN ANGLE OF ABOUT 30 DEGREES, IN A LEFT TURN WITH A BANK ANGLE OF APPROXIMATELY 45 DEGREES. THE RIGHT WING STRUCK THE WIRES AT MID-WING. THE WING WAS TORN FROM THE FUSELAGE AND LANDED IN THE ROAD. THE LOSS OF THE WING RESULTED IN A RIGHT ROLL THAT WRAPPING AROUND THE WIRES AND SEVERING THE TAIL SECTION. AIRCRAFT DEBRIS WAS SCATTERED OVER A COUPLE HUNDRED YARDS. EXCEPT FOR THE RIGHT WING, THE MAJOR COMPONENTS OF THE AIRCRAFT LANDED A COUPLE HUNDRED YARDS DOWN THE MOUNTAIN RIDGE.

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 WPR13FA095Accident · 2 fatalField investigationFinal reportBoulder, UTThe pilot’s improper decision to maneuver at a low altitude and failure to adequately monitor the environment to maintain clearance from power lines.Jan 19, 2013 · Substantial damage