- Date
- July 28, 1989, 08:00 local (13:00 UTC)
- Place
- Parkin, AR
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N2730DPZL-Mielec M-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 24, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890728025579A
- Case key
- 34661
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 failure of the pilot to maintain a visual lookout adequate to have avoided the powerlines.
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
Witnesses observed the airplane fly into powerlines during an aerial application manuever. After striking the wires, the airplane pitched up, then nosed down to terrain impact.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2730D
- Reported as
- PZL-Mielec M-18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- IZ008-03
- Airframe hours
- 1,069
- Engine
- P&W PT6A-45A, 1,120 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Dennie Stokes, doing business as Stokes Flying Ser.Inc.
- Registered owner
- Turbines, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 21, 1989 · 585 hours before
- Departed
- Parkin, AR
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
- 43
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Front
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 11,008 total · 260 in the last 90 days · 145 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.