- Date
- September 23, 1988, 19:10 local (Sep 24, 1988, 00:10 UTC)
- Place
- Orleans, IN
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N21985Piper PA-28-181
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report July 9, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880923041269A
- Case key
- 14171
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 failed to maintain an adequate visual lookout and to maintain adequate clearance from the utility pole and transmission wire. Contributing to the cause were the pilot's total lack of experience, task overload, and anxiety, stemming from a partial loss of electrical power, which led to disorientation and the attempted landing at the wrong airport.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot experienced a partial loss of electrical power while on a cross country flight, became lost and anxious, and attempted to land at the wrong airport. While on final approach the left landing gear struck a utility pole and the left wing touched a transmission wire. The pilot recovered and continued to his intended destination, landing without further incident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N21985
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-181
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7990066
- Airframe hours
- 3,269
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Decatur Aviaiton, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 19, 1988 · 13 hours before
- Departed
- DEC · Decatur, IL
- Destination
- I83 · Salem, IN
- Airport
- 7I4 · Orleans, runway 24, 2,890 × 60 ft, asphalt
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
- 19
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 101 total · 21 in this make and model · 86 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 10° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LOU
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.