- Date
- May 31, 1993, 17:54 local (22:54 UTC)
- Place
- Elbow Lake, MN
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N2342YPiper PA-36-400
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 25, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930531015729A
- Case key
- 9213
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 an adequate visual outlook during aerial application manuevers.
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 reported he was aware of the power lines bordering the field he was spraying, but momentarily forgot about them while concentrating on the approach and departure procedures to the field. The airplane struck the power lines and subsequently crashed in an open field.
Factual narrative
On May 31, 1993, about 1754 central daylight time, a Piper PA-36-400 airplane, N2342Y, sustained substantial damage when it collided with power lines near Elbow Lake, Minnesota, during an aerial application run. The solo commercial pilot received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local 14 CFR Part 137 flight.
The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical anomalies with the airplane. He said he was aware of the power lines, but was concerned with working the approach and departure procedures to the small field, and momentarily forgot about the wires until he hit them.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2342Y
- Reported as
- Piper PA-36-400
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 36-8160011
- Airframe hours
- 826
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-720-A1B, 400 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Haberer, Mark M.
- Registered owner
- J&H Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 12, 1993 · 50 hours before
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
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 813 total · 41 in this make and model · 754 as pilot in command · 41 in the last 90 days · 41 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- AWO
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.