- Date
- July 30, 2009, 20:30 local (Jul 31, 2009, 01:30 UTC)
- Place
- Purcell, OK
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N41930Piper PA28-151
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 15, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20090730013149A
- Case key
- 74412
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The student pilot's failure to see and avoid the power lines.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The student pilot stated that he had practiced a simulated loss of engine power to a field near the Canadian River. After finishing the practice approach, witnesses observed the airplane flying north to south about 30 feet above the river. They observed the airplane climb and fly over the East Washington Street Bridge, which spans the river between Purcell, Oklahoma and Lexington, Oklahoma. The airplane then descended back down into the river bottom, hit power lines that crossed over the river, and then came to rest in the river about one mile south of the bridge. Portions of the horizontal stabilizer and the wing had separated from the fuselage. The pilot was seriously injured. An examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies.
Factual narrative
The student pilot stated he had practiced a simulated loss of engine power to a field near a river. After finishing the practice approach, witnesses observed the airplane flying north to south about 30 feet above the river. They observed the airplane climb and fly over a bridge, which spaned a river. The airplane then descended and hit power lines that crossed over the river. The airplane came to rest in the river about one mile south of the bridge. Portions of the horizontal stabilizer and the wing had separated from the fuselage. The pilot was seriously injured. An examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N41930
- Reported as
- Piper PA28-151
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7415361
- Engine
- Lycoming 0-320 SERIES, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 1K4 · Goldsby, OK
- Destination
- 1K4 · Goldsby, OK
- Flight plan
- Unknown
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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 39
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 7 total · 7 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 22, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 93 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.