What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 9, 2019 at approximately 6:30 eastern daylight time, a Schweizer G-164B aircraft, N773D, registered to a commercial agricultural aircraft operator certificated under title 14 code of federal regulations ( 14 CFR) part 137 and operated by a commercial pilot, received minor damage when it struck a wire while engaged in agricultural spraying near Blanchard, Michigan. Visual meteorological conditions and calm winds prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot reported haze in the area of the wire strike. The commercial flight was being conducted under the provisions of 14 CFR 137 without a flight plan. The pilot was not injured. The local flight originated from lakeview griffith (13C) in lakeview, Michigan.
According to the pilot he was spraying agricultural product at a field he had sprayed in the past. Unbeknownst to him, there was a hidden power pole in the tree line in the north west corner of the field. Between the trees partially obscuring the pole and the early morning light in diffused by haze, the pilot did not see the wire until the last moment. He pitched the aircraft up, catching the top power line with his landing gear, breaking the wire. The severed wire struck the right under side of the engine cowling, leaving a dent. The wire also damaged the left lower aileron causing a small rip in the trailing edge. The pilot returned to his home airport without further incident and landed safely.
Weather at alma, Michigan, kamn airport, at 1019Z was: wind calm, visibility 10 statute miles, clear, temp 12, dew point 11, and altimeter 3011.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 9, 2019 AT APPROXIMATELY 6:30 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A SCHWEIZER G-164B AIRCRAFT, N773D, REGISTERED TO A COMMERCIAL AGRICULTURAL AIRCRAFT OPERATOR CERTIFICATED UNDER TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS ( 14 CFR) PART 137 AND OPERATED BY A COMMERCIAL PILOT, RECEIVED MINOR DAMAGE WHEN IT STRUCK A WIRE WHILE ENGAGED IN AGRICULTURAL SPRAYING NEAR BLANCHARD, MICHIGAN. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AND CALM WINDS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT REPORTED HAZE IN THE AREA OF THE WIRE STRIKE. THE COMMERCIAL FLIGHT WAS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR 137 WITHOUT A FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. THE LOCAL FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM LAKEVIEW GRIFFITH (13C) IN LAKEVIEW, MICHIGAN.
ACCORDING TO THE PILOT HE WAS SPRAYING AGRICULTURAL PRODUCT AT A FIELD HE HAD SPRAYED IN THE PAST. UNBEKNOWNST TO HIM, THERE WAS A HIDDEN POWER POLE IN THE TREE LINE IN THE NORTH WEST CORNER OF THE FIELD. BETWEEN THE TREES PARTIALLY OBSCURING THE POLE AND THE EARLY MORNING LIGHT IN DIFFUSED BY HAZE, THE PILOT DID NOT SEE THE WIRE UNTIL THE LAST MOMENT. HE PITCHED THE AIRCRAFT UP, CATCHING THE TOP POWER LINE WITH HIS LANDING GEAR, BREAKING THE WIRE. THE SEVERED WIRE STRUCK THE RIGHT UNDER SIDE OF THE ENGINE COWLING, LEAVING A DENT. THE WIRE ALSO DAMAGED THE LEFT LOWER AILERON CAUSING A SMALL RIP IN THE TRAILING EDGE. THE PILOT RETURNED TO HIS HOME AIRPORT WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT AND LANDED SAFELY.
WEATHER AT ALMA, MICHIGAN, KAMN AIRPORT, AT 1019Z WAS: WIND CALM, VISIBILITY 10 STATUTE MILES, CLEAR, TEMP 12, DEW POINT 11, AND ALTIMETER 3011.
Other reports on N773D · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.