- Date
- January 2, 1983, 11:45 local (16:45 UTC)
- Place
- Hancock, MD
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious, 2 minor; on the ground: 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8515UCessna 172F
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830102008969A
- Case key
- 5959
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Analysis
The aircraft collided with the top two wires of a powerline during a low altitude sight-seeing flight along the potomac river. The pilot stated he was maintaining visual contact with the ground should an emergency landing become necessary. He was staying high enough for clearance of the trees. He stated that apparently the terrain was getting higher without his awareness and suddenly the wires became visible just before the collision. One wire contacted the landing gear and the acft pitched down out of control and crashed on a rocky ledge on an island in the river. The free end of one of the wires recoiled onto highway I-70 and struck two cars causing minor injuries to 2 persons.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8515U
- Reported as
- Cessna 172F
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172-52415
- Airframe hours
- 2,822
- Engine
- Continental O-300-D, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- David J. Alt, Sr.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 1, 1982 · 30 hours before
- Departed
- W35 · Hancock, MD
- Airport
- W35 · Potomac Airpark
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 21
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 501 total · 388 in this make and model · 393 as pilot in command · 16 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 12,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- HGR, 16 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.