- Date
- July 31, 1987, 06:53 local (12:53 UTC)
- Place
- Kalispell, MT
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N231SHCessna A188B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 7, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 17121
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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.
In flight collision with object
Object - wire,transmissionFactor
Light condition - sunglareCause
Clearance - misjudgedCause
In flight collision with terrain/water
Analysis
A Cessna ag wagon, N731SH, hit an electrical pwr line during a climbing turn while crop spraying. The acft was observed plummeting to the ground. The acft was substantially damaged and the plt received fatal injuries. The plt was climbing into the sun which interfered with his ability to see the pwr line.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N231SH
- Reported as
- Cessna A188B
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18803115
- Airframe hours
- 1,120
- Engine
- Continental IO-520, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Gary Martin
- Registered owner
- Gary J Martin
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 1, 1987 · 130 hours before
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 25
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,450 total · 900 in this make and model · 120 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FCA, 3 nm away