- Date
- July 27, 1997, 18:20 local (23:20 UTC)
- Place
- Harrisburg, IL
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N35KKearns RV-6
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 23, 1999
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19970727028269A
- Case key
- 10643
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 adequate clearance. A factor was the marked transmission wire.
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 that while on final approach, 'The right landing gear hooked the power line and sheared off the wheel and landing gear.' He reported that the impact with the power line, 'Spun airplane around and cartwheeled.' He reported that the airplane struck the ground and came to rest in an up-right attitude. Post accident investigation revealed no anomalies with the accident aircraft.
Factual narrative
On July 27, 1997, at 1820 central daylight time, a Kearns RV-6, N35K, sustained substantial damage when it impacted power lines during final approach to Runway 32 (2,764 feet by 75 feet, dry/asphalt) at the Harrisburg-Raleigh Airport, Harrisburg, Illinois. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The personal flight was operating under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 and was not on a flight plan. The pilot reported no injuries and his one passenger sustained minor injuries. The local flight departed Harrisburg-Raleigh Airport at 1810 and was returning to the airport at the time of the accident.
According to the pilot-in-command's written statement, while on final approach, "The right landing gear hooked the power line and sheared off the wheel and landing gear." The pilot reported that the impact with the power line, "Spun airplane around and cartwheeled." The pilot reported that the airplane struck the ground and came to rest in an up-right attitude.
Post accident investigation revealed no anomalies with the accident aircraft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N35K
- Reported as
- Kearns RV-6
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 20482
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- John W. Kearns
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Departed
- HSB
- Airport
- HSB · Harrisburg-Raleigh Aprt., runway 32, 2,764 × 75 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
- 63
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 380 total · 4 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 95 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MWA, 27 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.