What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
privacy data omitted Was interested in purchasing N31683 from student pilot privacy data omitted. He flew in to L45 along with a CFI and another friend. privacy data omitted Picked them up and drove the party to his rural property where the plane and privacy data omitted private strip was located. privacy data omitted Stated that during the drive he discussed his flight experience as a student pilot and discussed the fact there were powerlines near his property. privacy data omitted Remembers privacy data omitted discussing his flight experience in similia aircraft, but does not recall privacy data omitted stating he was a student pilot or anything about powerlines.
After examining the plane privacy data omitted asked privacy data omitted if he wanted to fly it. privacy data omitted Then stated that the CFI, who was in attendance, discussed with all concerned that privacy data omitted would have to be the PIC for the flight, as privacy data omitted was not a rated pilot. This was understood and agreed to by privacy data omitted by a head nod, according to privacy data omitted
After a takeoff and climb to approx. 1000' conducted by Mr. Staib, he turned the flight controls over to privacy data omitted. After some airwork privacy data omitted stated he wanted to fly over the CFI and other friend who were on the ground back at privacy data omitted airstrip. On approach (in the opposite direction of the takeoff) privacy data omitted pointed out powerlines running parallel to the airstrip. After the low approach privacy data omitted stated that he pointed out additional powerlines in the departure path. They cleared a first set but then struck a second set that privacy data omitted stated he did not see initially.
privacy data omitted Remember's seeing privacy data omitted hand on the throttle and hearing an audible power reduction. Upon becoming aware of a second powerline, privacy data omitted stated that even though he advanced the throttle approximately an inch (with no audible power change) he was aware the engine was not developing enough power to clear it. Not being familiar with the plane, its controls, in addition to flying from the right seat, he may have moved the throttle control in the opposite direction just before striking the wire, in an ill-fated attempt to get more power. privacy data omitted Stated that he then relinquished the flight controls to privacy data omitted. He remembers the plane then went into a steep descent, in what he assumes was a commanded effort by privacy data omitted to fly below the powerline. The plane struck the second powerline causing it to crash in the corn field below. A post crash fire ensued. privacy data omitted Assisted privacy data omitted out of the wreckage before the fire engulfed the cockpit.
As the FAA filed it
^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS INTERESTED IN PURCHASING N31683 FROM STUDENT PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. HE FLEW IN TO L45 ALONG WITH A CFI AND ANOTHER FRIEND. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PICKED THEM UP AND DROVE THE PARTY TO HIS RURAL PROPERTY WHERE THE PLANE AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ PRIVATE STRIP WAS LOCATED. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT DURING THE DRIVE HE DISCUSSED HIS FLIGHT EXPERIENCE AS A STUDENT PILOT AND DISCUSSED THE FACT THERE WERE POWERLINES NEAR HIS PROPERTY. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ REMEMBERS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DISCUSSING HIS FLIGHT EXPERIENCE IN SIMILIA AIRCRAFT, BUT DOES NOT RECALL ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATING HE WAS A STUDENT PILOT OR ANYTHING ABOUT POWERLINES.
AFTER EXAMINING THE PLANE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ASKED ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ IF HE WANTED TO FLY IT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THEN STATED THAT THE CFI, WHO WAS IN ATTENDANCE, DISCUSSED WITH ALL CONCERNED THAT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WOULD HAVE TO BE THE PIC FOR THE FLIGHT, AS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS NOT A RATED PILOT. THIS WAS UNDERSTOOD AND AGREED TO BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ BY A HEAD NOD, ACCORDING TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^
AFTER A TAKEOFF AND CLIMB TO APPROX. 1000' CONDUCTED BY MR. STAIB, HE TURNED THE FLIGHT CONTROLS OVER TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. AFTER SOME AIRWORK ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED HE WANTED TO FLY OVER THE CFI AND OTHER FRIEND WHO WERE ON THE GROUND BACK AT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AIRSTRIP. ON APPROACH (IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF THE TAKEOFF) ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ POINTED OUT POWERLINES RUNNING PARALLEL TO THE AIRSTRIP. AFTER THE LOW APPROACH ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT HE POINTED OUT ADDITIONAL POWERLINES IN THE DEPARTURE PATH. THEY CLEARED A FIRST SET BUT THEN STRUCK A SECOND SET THAT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED HE DID NOT SEE INITIALLY.
^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ REMEMBER'S SEEING ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HAND ON THE THROTTLE AND HEARING AN AUDIBLE POWER REDUCTION. UPON BECOMING AWARE OF A SECOND POWERLINE, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT EVEN THOUGH HE ADVANCED THE THROTTLE APPROXIMATELY AN INCH (WITH NO AUDIBLE POWER CHANGE) HE WAS AWARE THE ENGINE WAS NOT DEVELOPING ENOUGH POWER TO CLEAR IT. NOT BEING FAMILIAR WITH THE PLANE, ITS CONTROLS, IN ADDITION TO FLYING FROM THE RIGHT SEAT, HE MAY HAVE MOVED THE THROTTLE CONTROL IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION JUST BEFORE STRIKING THE WIRE, IN AN ILL-FATED ATTEMPT TO GET MORE POWER. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT HE THEN RELINQUISHED THE FLIGHT CONTROLS TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. HE REMEMBERS THE PLANE THEN WENT INTO A STEEP DESCENT, IN WHAT HE ASSUMES WAS A COMMANDED EFFORT BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TO FLY BELOW THE POWERLINE. THE PLANE STRUCK THE SECOND POWERLINE CAUSING IT TO CRASH IN THE CORN FIELD BELOW. A POST CRASH FIRE ENSUED. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ASSISTED ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OUT OF THE WRECKAGE BEFORE THE FIRE ENGULFED THE COCKPIT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.