- Date
- October 9, 2018, 16:35 local (20:35 UTC)
- Place
- Hampton, GA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N126BBAviat S
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 8, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20181009019669A
- Case key
- 98486
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 see and avoid power wires during approach.
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 biplane pilot reported that, while performing a reconnaissance flight to determine the viability of landing the biplane on the infield section of the racing track for an upcoming airshow, he made several passes and saw no power wires. He added that, during an approach to the proposed landing area, the biplane struck a power wire. The pilot aborted the approach, performed a quick controllability check, and decided to land at a nearby airport. The pilot landed the biplane without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left ailerons. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the biplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The biplane pilot reported that, while performing a reconnaissance flight to determine the viability of landing the biplane on the infield section of the racing track for an upcoming airshow, several passes were made, and no power wires were observed. He added that, during an approach to the proposed landing area, the biplane struck a power wire. The pilot aborted the approach, performed a quick controllability check, and decided to land at the nearby airport. The biplane landed without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left ailerons. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the biplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N126BB
- Reported as
- Aviat S (2C)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 6046
- Built
- 2001
- Airframe hours
- 2,712
- Engine
- Lycoming AEIO-450, 265 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Operator
- Grayout Aerosports Llc
- Registered owner
- Grayout Aerosports Llc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Aerobatic
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 23, 2018
- Departed
- HMP · Hampton, GA
- Destination
- HMP · Hampton, GA
- 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
- 48
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 19, 2017
- Seat
- Rear
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 12,392 total · 1,598 in this make and model · 9,817 as pilot in command · 127 in the last 90 days · 22 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- K6A2, 10 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 7, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.3 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.