What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot attempted to make a low altitude turn in a remote area near a home when the airplane struck a power/telephone wire. This resulted in a crash landing that created substantial damage to the aircraft, minor injuries to the pilot and passenger and damage to property on the ground (the telephone/power line).
Pilot's statement:
I made a right circle around my neighbor's yard, to land on my farm. With the sun shining in my eyes and the glare from the propeller, I lost sight of the power line. My mistake of using my judgement of the height of the buildings, thinking I was high enough to clear all obstacles instead of verifying with my altimeter of my actual altitude, led me coming in too low and made contact with the power line which caused me to loose control and crash land it. Then we walked away.
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO MAKE A LOW ALTITUDE TURN IN A REMOTE AREA NEAR A HOME WHEN THE AIRPLANE STRUCK A POWER/TELEPHONE WIRE. THIS RESULTED IN A CRASH LANDING THAT CREATED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT, MINOR INJURIES TO THE PILOT AND PASSENGER AND DAMAGE TO PROPERTY ON THE GROUND (THE TELEPHONE/POWER LINE).
PILOT'S STATEMENT:
I MADE A RIGHT CIRCLE AROUND MY NEIGHBOR'S YARD, TO LAND ON MY FARM. WITH THE SUN SHINING IN MY EYES AND THE GLARE FROM THE PROPELLER, I LOST SIGHT OF THE POWER LINE. MY MISTAKE OF USING MY JUDGEMENT OF THE HEIGHT OF THE BUILDINGS, THINKING I WAS HIGH ENOUGH TO CLEAR ALL OBSTACLES INSTEAD OF VERIFYING WITH MY ALTIMETER OF MY ACTUAL ALTITUDE, LED ME COMING IN TOO LOW AND MADE CONTACT WITH THE POWER LINE WHICH CAUSED ME TO LOOSE CONTROL AND CRASH LAND IT. THEN WE WALKED AWAY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N95514 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.