- Date
- June 28, 1992, 15:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Erie, IL
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N3195TCessna 177
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 28, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920628023899A
- Case key
- 15482
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 a proper glidepath.
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 stated he made an effort to identify powerlines on the approach end of the runway he was going to land on. He stated he did not see any wires during the time he flew a base leg and final approach. While on short final, the pilot became aware of the wires and applied back pressure in an effort to avoid colliding with the wires. The airplane struck the wires and descended, uncontrolled, onto the clearway area which preceded the runway threshold. An on-scene investigation revealed the 30 foot high wires were located approximately 300 feet from the runway threshold. The poles and wires did not have hazard markings. The wires had a coloration that blended into the terrain the pilot would see as he approached the runway.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3195T
- Reported as
- Cessna 177
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 177-00495
- Airframe hours
- 2,379
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Maple City Flying Club, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Maple City Flying Club, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 2, 2000 · 41 hours before
- Departed
- IS37 · Geneseo, IL
- Airport
- RLA · Earl Air Ranchette, runway 18, 2,300 × 100 ft, grass/turf
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
- 66
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,390 total · 640 in this make and model · 1,336 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SQI, 17 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.