- Date
- November 3, 1989, 15:40 local (20:40 UTC)
- Place
- Immokalee, FL
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N4129EPiper PA-18-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 5, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891103044299A
- Case key
- 32600
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
Failure of the pilot to maintain proper altitude and his failure to maintain adequate visual lookout to see and avoid obstructions. The static line (obstruction) was a contributing factor.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
After takeoff, the plt turned to a northerly heading & remained at low alt to view his agricultural developement near the airstrip. This heading took the acft toward high tension power lines, just north of the private strip. The plt selected a flt path over the lowest sag in the lines; however, neither he nor the passenger saw the static cables above the main transmission lines. Subsequently, the acft collided with an upper (static) cable. The cable stopped the acft's forward movement & it dropped nearly straight-down to the ground.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4129E
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 18-7809081
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Smoak Groves, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Unknown
- Destination
- 8X5 · Lake Placid, FL
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
- 41
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 1,510 total · 300 in this make and model · 1,510 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 45° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.