- Date
- May 9, 2013, 10:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Thief River Falls, MN
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N1820VCessna 172M
- Defining event
- Approach: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 29, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- FAA report
- 20130509007179A
- Case key
- 86873
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 clearance from the power line while on approach to landing.
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
During the local flight, the pilot noted that the air was getting a little choppy and that he had to increase the wind correction angle in order to fly a normal heading. The pilot flew a normal downwind approach to the airstrip, but the wind correction angle was very large. He aborted the landing and did a full-power climb to a safe altitude. He said that he then elected to land on the east-west blacktop road right in front of the farm rather than the airstrip, which ran north-south. He circled due to traffic on the road and was concentrating on possible traffic as he approached to land. Soon thereafter, the pilot saw wires directly ahead, and he heard the airplane strike a wire; he applied full power, but the airplane descended and impacted a ditch on the right side and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial wing damage during the nose over. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot had heard that the wind would pick up later in the day where it would not be ideal for flying. He decided to get a little local flying in early. During the flight, he decided to head back towards the farm airstrip, as it was getting a little choppy. He noticed the wind correction angle needed to fly a heading had increased significantly. The pilot flew a normal downwind approach and found that the wind correction angle was very large. He aborted the landing and did a full power climb back to a safe altitude. He decided to land on the east-west blacktop road right in front of the farm. He circled due to traffic on the road and was totally concentrating on possible traffic. The pilot’s eyes caught sight of wires directly ahead and he heard the “zing” of wire impact the airplane as he applied full power. The airplane was subsequently pulling to the right and the pilot could not hold the centerline. The airplane settled, impacted the ditch on the right side, and nosed over. The airplane sustained substantial wing damage during the nose over. The pilot reported that there no mechanical malfunctions with the airplane in reference to the flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1820V
- Reported as
- Cessna 172M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17263762
- Airframe hours
- 7,520
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Pilot
- Registered owner
- Pilot
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 1, 2012
- Departed
- Thief River Falls, MN
- Destination
- Thief River Falls, MN
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
- 60
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 19, 2012
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 796 total · 400 in this make and model · 610 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 17 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.21 inHg
- Observed at
- TVF
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 26, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.1 MB 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.