- Date
- August 27, 2015, 17:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Irwin, ID
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N63BWAviat A-1C-200
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 8, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA Salt Lake City FSDO
- FAA report
- 20150827013689A
- Case key
- 91957
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 obstacle clearance during low level flight, which resulted in the airplane striking a wire, impacting water, and nosing over.
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 reported that during a low level flight, the airplane struck a wire over a river. The landing gear contacted the wire, the wire stretched like a "bungee cord," and then the wire broke. The airplane pulled to the right with the wire still attached, the pilot landed in the river, and the airplane nosed over. The recovery of the airplane from the river revealed substantial damage to the fuselage, both wings, and the empennage. The pilot reported that, "I could have prevented this accident by better observation of power lines over the river." The pilot reported there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during a low level flight, the airplane struck a wire over a river. The landing gear contacted the wire, the wire stretched like a "bungee cord," and then the wire broke. The airplane pulled to the right with the wire still attached, the pilot landed in the river, and the airplane nosed over. The recovery of the airplane from the river revealed substantial damage to the fuselage, both wings, and the empennage. The pilot reported that, "I could have prevented this accident by better observation of power lines over the river." The pilot reported there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N63BW
- Reported as
- Aviat A-1C-200 (UNDESIGNAT)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 3159
- Built
- 2012
- Airframe hours
- 142.8
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-A1D6, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Kevin Bloxham Premier Construction Supply Inc, doing business as Premier Construction Supply Inc
- Registered owner
- Kevin Bloxham Premier Construction Supply Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 12, 2014
- Departed
- 46U · Alpine, WY
- Destination
- U56 · Rigby, ID
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS, Onboard weather, 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
- 54
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 13, 2015
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 3,112 total · 326 in this make and model · 40 in the last 90 days · 15 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.27 inHg
- Observed at
- KDIJ, 23 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 2, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.6 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.