- Date
- April 24, 1993, 15:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Yankton, SD
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N5548WPiper PA-28-160
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 3, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930424010539A
- Case key
- 15703
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 in command's failure to maintain proper clearance. Gusty wind conditions were a factor.
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
During an instructional flight, while practicing emergency landings over a sod field, the aircraft struck powerlines, shearing off part of the right wing. The aircraft impacted the ground approximately 300 feet east of the frayed cable, and then rolled another 75 feet east where it was found. The student pilot stated that the aircraft and engine had been operating normally the entire flight prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5548W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-160
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- L-5045-39
- Airframe hours
- 3,660
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D2A, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Amrerican Leasing, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Amrerican Leasing, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 18, 1992 · 25 hours before
- Departed
- YKN
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
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 3,833 total · 36 in this make and model · 3,754 as pilot in command · 55 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 33° at 12 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- YKN, 5 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.