ERA11CA007

According to the pilot, he was on the final leg in the traffic pattern intending to land. As the airplane approached the runway, he observed it begin to pass over the unmarked power lines in the area. He affixed his focus back to the runway and the windshield shattered as it collided with another smaller, unmarked power line located 30 feet above the power lines that the pilot had in sight. After the airplane began a steep descent, the pilot was able to partially recover the attitude prior to impacting the ground at a 45-degree angle. During the accident sequence, the forward section of the fuselage, the firewall, and both wings incurred substantial damage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

According to the pilot, he was on the final leg in the traffic pattern intending to land on runway 14, a 1,500-foot runway. As he approached the runway, he noted to himself that he had “the [unmarked] power lines made,” approximately 25 feet below the airplane, and glanced back towards the runway. Then, the windshield shattered as the airplane struck another smaller, unmarked power line located 30 feet above the power lines that the pilot had in sight. After the airplane began a steep descent, the pilot was able to partially recover the attitude prior to impacting the ground at a 45-degree angle. During the accident sequence, the forward section of the fuselage, the firewall, and both wings incurred substantial damage. The pilot did not report any mechanical anomalies with the airplane. The winds reported at an airport 18 miles to the northwest of the accident location were calm.