20250112000529A

The aircraft involved in the accident was engaged in a sightseeing flight when it collided with power lines located five miles north of Batesville, Arkansas. This aircraft was accompanied by a second airplane, which was positioned approximately a quarter mile behind and above the accident aircraft. During the flight, the pilot and passenger of the second aircraft remarked, “wow, he is really low in the valley.” roughly ten seconds after this observation, the accident aircraft struck the power lines, resulting in a dramatic display of high-voltage blue sparks as it became entangled in the lines suspended 137 feet above the ground. Following the incident, the pilot of the second aircraft returned to Batesville regional airport and then traveled back to the scene by vehicle. Upon arrival, he spoke with the pilot of the accident aircraft, who explained that he had not seen the wires until it was too late, largely due to the snowy background obscuring visibility. Tragically, during the rescue efforts, the pilot of the accident aircraft fell from his climbing harness and sustained fatal injuries. The pilot of the second aircraft later reported in his witness statement that neither he nor his passenger noticed any loss of engine power prior to the collision. The federal aviation administration (FAA) arrived at the scene after the aircraft was removed from the power lines, and investigators confirmed the continuity of flight controls and the presence of adequate fuel on board, finding no indications of a power plant failure. The accident cause has been classified as controlled flight into terrain (cfit).