CHI00LA279

The accident airplane was destroyed during an in-flight impact with a tower and with terrain. A witness said, 'I watched the plane fly from North to South over my house. The plane was very low about 250 - 300ft. The engine sounded good and the plane was flying level and not loosing altitude. It appeared under control.' Another witness said, 'Heard a plane low - sounded like an ultra light - watched it circle us saw it was a single engine - it was right over us - heading north and flew right into the radio tower - and tumbled down to the ground - the right wing/airplane parts hung in the tower [and] the plane crashed....' At 0755, the weather was: Wind 110 degrees at 5 knots; visibility 7 statute miles; sky condition few 15,000 feet; temperature 24 degrees C; dew point 21 degrees C; altimeter 30.03 inches of mercury. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector said, 'Due to the extensive damage to the forward structure, some cable attachments were broken, but it appeared that all controls were in operation at the time of the accident.'

On September 1, 2000, about 0815 eastern standard time, a Mockler Zodiac CH-600, N1156L, piloted by a private pilot, was destroyed during an in-flight impact with an antenna tower and with terrain while maneuvering near Carmel, Indiana. The personal flight was operating under 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan was on file. The pilot was fatally injured. The local flight originated from Anderson Municipal Darlington Field, near Anderson, Indiana, about 0800.

A witness said, "I watched the plane fly from North to South over my house. The plane was very low about 250 - 300ft. The engine sounded good and the plane was flying level and not loosing altitude. It appeared under control. I lost visual as he passed south in a tree line."

Another witness said, "Heard a plane low - sounded like an ultra light - watched it circle us saw it was a single engine - it was right over us - heading north and flew right into the radio tower - and tumbled down to the ground - the right wing/airplane parts hung in the tower [and] the plane crashed...."

At 0755, the Indianapolis International Airport, near Indianapolis, Indiana, weather was: Wind 110 degrees at 5 knots; visibility 7 statute miles; sky condition few 15,000 feet; temperature 24 degrees C; dew point 21 degrees C; altimeter 30.03 inches of mercury.

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspectors performed an on-scene examination of the wreckage. A FAA inspector stated that the airplane's right wing impacted a radio tower about 160 feet above ground level, that the impacted tower was about 192 feet high, and that the airplane came to rest inverted about 421 feet from the impacted tower. Another FAA inspector said, "Due to the extensive damage to the forward structure, some cable attachments were broken, but it appeared that all controls were in operation at the time of the accident."