- Date
- April 23, 2013, 15:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Americus, GA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N757GXCessna 152
- Defining event
- Maneuvering: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 5, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20130423005969A
- Case key
- 86834
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 delayed decision to terminate the practice approach during a simulated loss of engine power maneuver, which resulted in an inadvertent collision with utility wires.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot and passenger were returning to the airplane’s home airport near the conclusion of a cross-country flight, when the pilot elected to perform a simulated loss of engine power and subsequent practice approach to a farm field. During the approach, the pilot descended the airplane to about the height of the irrigation system installed in the field, when he noticed a “glint of light” and instinctually applied full power, increased pitch, and rolled the airplane right. The airplane then contacted a utility wire, resulting in substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot subsequently returned to the destination airport and landed uneventfully. When enumerating the factors that contributed to the accident, the pilot noted that his “…decision to continue the approach as long as I did also played a role.” The pilot also reported that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot and passenger were returning to the airplane’s home airport near the conclusion of a cross-country flight, when the pilot elected to perform a simulated loss of engine power and subsequent practice approach to a farm field. During the approach, the pilot descended the airplane to about the height of the irrigation system installed in the field, when he noticed a “glint of light” and instinctually applied full power, increased pitch, and rolled the airplane right. The airplane then contacted a utility wire, resulting in substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot subsequently returned to the destination airport and landed uneventfully. When enumerating the factors that contributed to the accident, the pilot noted that his “…decision to continue the approach as long as I did also played a role.” The pilot also reported that there were no mechanical anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N757GX
- Reported as
- Cessna 152
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 15279739
- Airframe hours
- 10,068
- Engine
- Lycoming 0-235 SERIES, 110 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 31, 2013
- Departed
- KSCJ · Americus, GA
- Destination
- KPXE · Perry, GA
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
- 24
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 25, 2012
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 72 total · 8 in this make and model · 30 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
Docket · 7
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 12, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.0 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.