- Date
- June 6, 2010, 21:38 local (Jun 7, 2010, 02:38 UTC)
- Place
- Northwood, ND
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N9620SChampion 7ECA
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report December 20, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration, Fargo FSDO
- Case key
- 76249
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 pilot’s failure to maintain adequate clearance from the transmission wire.
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 pilot reported that the purpose of the flight was to locate and observe newborn calves on his ranch. While maneuvering at a low altitude the airplane collided with a transmission wire. He immediately made a forced landing to a nearby road, but the airplane slid off the road and impacted a ditch. The vertical stabilizer was substantially damaged during the wire strike and the fuselage and both wings were substantially damaged during the off-field landing. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. The pilot held an expired student pilot certificate and did not have a current medical certificate.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that the purpose of the flight was to locate and observe newborn calves on his ranch. While maneuvering at a low altitude the airplane collided with a transmission wire. He immediately made a forced landing to a nearby road, but the airplane slid off the road and impacted a ditch. The vertical stabilizer was substantially damaged during the wire strike. The fuselage and both wings were substantially damaged during the off-field landing. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane. The pilot held an expired student pilot certificate and did not have a current medical certificate.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9620S
- Reported as
- Champion 7ECA
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 58
- Airframe hours
- 2,352
- Engine
- Teledyne Continental Motors O-200-A, 100 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Operator
- Keith A. Thorsgard
- Registered owner
- Keith A. Thorsgard
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 10, 2009
- Departed
- Northwood, ND
- Destination
- Northwood, ND
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 26
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3
- Last flight review
- June 17, 2007
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 200 total · 200 in this make and model · 190 as pilot in command · 2 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 270° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- KRDR, 16 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 12, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.1 MB in all.