- Date
- May 23, 1990, 12:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Leland, MS
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N8739Bellanca 7GCAA
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 29, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900523017169A
- Case key
- 32663
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 see-and-avoid the power lines.
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
The plt stated that he circled the unfamiliar arpt to observe the windsock, which indicated that the wind was from the north. After entering the pattern to land on rwy 36, he observed power line poles located at the apch end of the rwy, but did not see the unmarked powerlines. While on final apch at an alt of about 30 ft, the acft collided with a powerline, then impacted the ground. The plt's medical certificate was expired.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8739
- Reported as
- Bellanca 7GCAA
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 256-73
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Watts, Douglas K.
- Registered owner
- Unknown
- Departed
- M76 · Monticello, AR
- Airport
- NONE · Edwards Field, runway 36, 3,400 × 30 ft
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
- 36
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Expired
- Flight hours
- 1,341 total · 80 in this make and model · 1,320 as pilot in command · 41 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Observed at
- GWO, 43 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N8739 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.