- Date
- October 11, 2016, 13:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Knoxville, TN
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N2504ZBellanca 8KCAB
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 20, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20161011024219A
- Case key
- 94192
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 intentional low-altitude operation, which resulted in his failure to maintain clearance from unmarked utility wires.
Findings · 4
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
Shortly after departing and while flying along a river, the airplane struck two of five unmarked utility wires that spanned the river. The airplane subsequently impacted water, which resulted in substantial damage to the airframe and minor injuries to the pilot and passenger. When asked how the accident could have been prevented, the pilot stated, "Increase altitude minimums by at least double to ensure adequate reaction time to avoid obstacles."
Factual narrative
Shortly after departing, and while flying along a river, the airplane struck 2 of 5 unmarked utility wires that spanned across the river. The airplane subsequently impacted the water below resulting in substantial damage to the airframe and minor injuries to the pilot and passenger. When asked how the accident could have been prevented the pilot stated, "Increase altitude minimums by at least double to ensure adequate reaction time to avoid obstacles."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2504Z
- Reported as
- Bellanca 8KCAB
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 329-77
- Built
- 1977
- Airframe hours
- 1,633.7
- Engine
- Lycoming AEIO-360-H1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Aerobatic
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 21, 2016 · 145 hours before
- Departed
- DKX · Knoxville, TN
- Destination
- 24A · Sylva, NC
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
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
- 28
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 17, 2015
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 2,905 total · 330 in this make and model · 2,800 as pilot in command · 368 in the last 90 days · 55 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.30 inHg
- Observed at
- TYS, 13 nm away
Docket · 6
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 30, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.0 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.