- Date
- April 4, 2020, 10:44 local (16:44 UTC)
- Place
- Hillrose, CO
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- UNREGRans S-12 Airaile
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 27, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration; Denver FSDO
- Case key
- 101142
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 noncertificated pilot's diverted attention while looking at a fire during low-altitude flying, which resulted in a collision with power lines.
Findings · 5
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 noncertificated pilot reported that, during a local flight, he noticed an area of smoke and fire near his property. The pilot descended the airplane to about 20 ft above ground level to see what was burning, which diverted his attention from flying. The pilot "immediately" pulled up to avoid power lines, but the airplane struck the lines. The airplane then impacted the ground and came to rest inverted, which resulted in substantial damage to the wings and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The noncertificated pilot and his son departed in the unregistered experimental airplane (previously N4114G), on a local personal flight from his private airstrip. During the return flight, they noticed an area of smoke and fire near the pilot's property and proceeded to the area for examination. The pilot descended the airplane to an altitude of about 20 ft above ground level to see what was burning, which diverted the pilot's attention. The pilot "immediately" pulled up to avoid powerlines, "but was 2 seconds late," and the airplane struck the powerlines. The pilot report that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operations.
Aircraft
- Registration
- UNREG
- Reported as
- Rans S-12 Airaile
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 1290044
- Built
- 1990
- Airframe hours
- 505.4
- Engine
- Rotax 582, 65 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Pilot
- Registered owner
- Pilot
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- Hillrose, CO
- Destination
- Hillrose, CO
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 58
- Injuries
- Serious
- Flight hours
- 680 total · 135 in this make and model · 680 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.80 inHg
- Observed at
- FMM, 60 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 29, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 837 KB in all.